# Ovechkin: Supporter of Team Putin **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** ukraine-invasion\ **Created:** [February 26, 2022, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ovechkin-supporter-of-team-putin/960163 "2022-02-26T20:39:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2022, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ovechkin-supporter-of-team-putin/960163/1 "2022-02-26T20:39:31Z")
Until Team Putin invades another country, and then “I’m not in politics, I’m an athlete.” Strange how Ovechkin, the non-political-athlete, started a social movement to support Putin, announcing it on his Instagram account on November 2, 2017: > **[PutinTeam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PutinTeam)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > PutinTeam is a social movement announced in 2017 by NHL player Alexander Ovechkin to support Russian President Vladimir Putin and his 2018 Russian Presidential campaign. > Ovechkin has a personal relationship with Putin. Ovechkin has a personal phone number for Putin and received a present from Putin at his wedding in 2016. > PutinTeam was first announced in a November 2, 2017 post on Ovechkin’s Instagram account, which has over one million follower... But now that Team Putin is invading a neighbouring country, killing soldiers and endangering civilians, “I’m not in politics, I’m an athlete.” > **['Please, no more war': Capitals star Ovechkin addresses Russian invasion of...](https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/ovechkin-addresses-russian-invasion-ukraine-1.6365291)** > > Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin asked for "no more war" Friday in his first media availability since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Moscow native said he has "lots of friends in Russia and Ukraine" and hopes the attack will end soon. Sanctions for the Washington Caps until they get rid of their “just-an-athlete-who-supports-Team-Putin”? ---
**Author:** ![keeganst94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@keeganst94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keeganst94)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2022, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ovechkin-supporter-of-team-putin/960163/2 "2022-02-26T20:58:43Z")
I do wonder exactly how much autonomy Ovechkin has, and how carefully he has to measure his words and decisions. On the one hand he’s very famous and very popular so maybe he could get away with speaking his mind on politics. On the other hand there are people he cares for in Russia, and Putin is known for blackmail, extortion, and assassination. It would not surprise me if he was pressured to start Putinteam, or if he was under considerable pressure to continue supporting Putin. I don’t know that for a fact, I’m just saying that whenever athletes from an authoritarian country praise their leader I wonder how much of it is genuine. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2022, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ovechkin-supporter-of-team-putin/960163/3 "2022-02-26T21:07:59Z")
I could see Putin pressuring him to not speak out against him. But surely, even Putin would have found it acceptable if he had pulled the apolitical “I’m just an athlete” from the start? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2022, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ovechkin-supporter-of-team-putin/960163/4 "2022-02-27T03:09:04Z")
Ovechkin reportedly has family in Russia, so his tap-dancing for “peace” is understandable, if not exactly laudatory. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2022, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ovechkin-supporter-of-team-putin/960163/5 "2022-02-27T04:01:53Z")
Related: Russian Tennis Star Andrey Rublev writes “No War Please” on Camera Lens after winning Semi final match in Dubai > **[Russian Rublev after Dubai win: 'No War Please'](https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/33369327/russian-tennis-star-andrey-rublev-writes-no-war-please-dubai-semifinal-win)** > > Russian tennis player Andrey Rublev had just beaten Poland's Hubert Hurkacz 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (5) in their semifinal match in Dubai before writing "No War Please" on the TV camera. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2022, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ovechkin-supporter-of-team-putin/960163/6 "2022-03-03T02:45:01Z")
I imagine a lot of Russian athletes are being very careful of what they say about Putin right now, at least those who have still have family back at home.