Russian NHL hockey star Alexander Ovechkin is facing a wave of criticism after appearing in an election ad for President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party. A video released ahead of Russia’s parliamentary elections this weekend shows the hockey star endorsing Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is one of the political heavyweights among the party’s candidates, as Lavrov warns Moscow’s enemies to “expect no mercy.” Ovechkin, who captains the Washington Capitals, said he had felt no hesitation about appearing in the ad. “I’m Russian. I support my country,” he told reporters at a news conference on Thursday, adding that he expects to retire to Russia once his NHL career is over. “I’m gonna live there, my kids are gonna live there. I’m for peace and love and I hope everything’s going to be okay.” The video, and Ovechkin’s subsequent statements, have sparked harsh criticism in Europe, the United States and Canada, which is part of the NHL. Latvia announced on Thursday that it has banned Ovechkin from entering the country. In the same statement, the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was also banning Umar Kremlev, the Kremlin-connected businessman who reportedly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund parts of Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding celebration in the Bahamas. President Donald Trump on Friday claimed his son had paid back the Russian billionaire. The Ukrainian Canadian Congress, which represents the roughly 1.3 million Canadians who identify as Ukrainian, called for Ovechkin to be sanctioned and banned from entering Canada, calling him “a disgusting supporter of Russia’s genocidal war against Ukraine.” Meanwhile, Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) sent a letter to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman saying it was “incredibly alarming” that Ovechkin had shown public support for “the party of war criminal Putin.” He called on the league to review its policies. Russia denies allegations that it is committing war crimes in Ukraine despite the charges brought against Putin and other Russian officials by the International Criminal Court. Olga Saladukha, the head of the Ukrainian Athletics Federation, said in a statement the video illustrated why sport and politics cannot be separated when it comes to Russia. “Sport and athletes represent in the Russian Federation – yet another element of the state, state propaganda, militarism and imperial delusions,” she said. And NHL Hall of Fame goaltender Dominik Hasek posted on X that Ovechkin “bears a significant share of responsibility through his public stance… for the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Ukrainians and Russians killed or maimed.” ‘A difficult situation’ Alongside Ovechkin, the video features an array of Kremlin propagandists, including the editor-in-chief of state broadcaster RT, Margarita Simonyan, and the film star and staunch Putin supporter Vladimir Mashkov, best known for the 2001 movie “Behind Enemy Lines” and 2011’s “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.” Mashkov has been sanctioned in Europe over his backing for Russia’s war in Ukraine. The Washington Capitals said in a statement Ovechkin had been asked to film the video while he was in Russia for the summer. Capitals ⁠general manager ​Chris Patrick told ESPN that Ovechkin had not told the team about the filming. “I would say it’s a difficult situation, and I understand why people are upset,” Patrick was quoted as saying. Ovechkin is one of the NHL’s most decorated players. He has been captain of the Washington Capitals for 16 seasons and had his multi-million contract with the team renewed for another season in July. He became the NHL’s all-time top scorer in April 2025, receiving a personal congratulatory message from Putin. He then scored his record 900th goal last November, a month after turning 40. Ovechkin’s friendship with Putin is no secret – his Instagram profile photo is a snap with the Russian leader and he has previously campaigned for him. But he has adopted a more careful tone since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. He previously said he had “lots of friends in Russia and Ukraine” and hoped the war would be over soon.