On Monday, Russian President Vladimir V. Putin congratulated hockey player Alex Ovechkin for surpassing the N.H.L.’s all-time goal-scoring record. Ovechkin, 39, captain of the Washington Capitals, scored his 895th career goal on Sunday afternoon in a match with the New York Islanders, a record that surpassed Wayne Gretzky’s record, which had stood for 26 years. Mr. Putin praised Ovechkin for his conspicuous achievement in a statement on Monday, calling it a momentous event that should be celebrated by fans in Russia and beyond. This accomplishment and the Kremlin’s remarks have drawn attention to Ovechkin’s past support for Vladimir Putin and his stance on the war in Ukraine. Despite playing professionally in the United States for more than two decades, Ovechkin’s Instagram profile features a photo with Mr. Putin, and he launched a #PutinTeam social media campaign in 2017 before Russia’s elections. In 2022, Ovechkin drew criticism for failing to denounce Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, stating that he doesn’t get involved in politics and that Putin is his president. After setting the record, Ovechkin celebrated the feat, expressing gratitude for his teammates and stating “Russia, we did it!” Russian state television hailed the accomplishment as a point of national pride, with Pro-Putin pundits praising Ovechkin for being unwavering in his patriotism. However, Ovechkin hasn’t represented Russia internationally since 2019, and Russian athletes have been boycotted from global competitions since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The ongoing conflict has been a controversial topic in international sports, with Russian athletes facing pressure to condemn the war.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/world/europe/ovechkin-putin-russia-nhl.html