Ukrainian Canadians to protest Ovechkin's Ottawa visit over Putin ties
The protest comes as the hockey star visits Canada amid calls for sanctions and a separate dispute over Russia's potential return to international hockey.
OTTAWA · A demonstration is planned for Tuesday outside Ottawa's Canadian Tire Centre during a game between the Senators and the Washington Capitals. The protest targets Capitals star Alex Ovechkin over his support for Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is being organized by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress under the banner "No War Crimes in Hockey." The group supports parliamentary petitions calling for Canadian sanctions against Ovechkin that would prevent him from entering the country. Those petitions were sponsored by Liberal MPs Yvan Baker and Bardish Chagger.
Ovechkin, the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer, appeared in a campaign video for Putin's United Russia party in September. In the ad, he was positioned behind Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. His team, the Capitals, stated he was asked to take part in the video while he was in Russia for the off-season, where he lives with his family. The player has a history of political endorsements, having launched a movement called "Putin Team" in 2017, saying at the time he was simply supporting his country.
After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Ovechkin publicly called for the war to end. He defended his continued connection to Putin, however, stating that "the Russian leader was his president and that he was an athlete, not a politician." His arrival in Ottawa coincides with a separate international controversy regarding Russia's status in hockey. The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled on Oct. 30 that the International Ice Hockey Federation must reinstate Russian teams, which have been banned since the invasion.
Dispute over international reinstatement
That ruling has sparked a dispute ahead of next month's world junior hockey championship in Alberta. Prime Minister Mark Carney has said Russian players will not be permitted to represent their country at the tournament. Norway reported on Sunday that the IIHF informed it Russia would take Norway's spot in the men's under-20 event. Sweden and Finland have both stated they will refuse to play against Russia while the war in Ukraine continues. The IIHF has not made any official announcement about changing the tournament lineup. Tuesday's contest will be Ovechkin's first game in Canada since he announced his retirement, which will come at the end of his 22nd NHL season. The 41-year-old's visit has become a focal point for ongoing debates about the role of Russian athletes in international sport. The Ukrainian Canadian Congress aims to use the protest to highlight his political affiliations during his final playing tour in the country.
With files from The Canadian Press, The Globe and Mail and CityNews