In a strong endorsement for Putin, the Capitals captain penned an Instagram post Thursday intended to start a social movement in the name of “a strong and united Russia” as the country readies for a presidential election in 2018.
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The Washington Post translated the text from Russian to English.
A post shared by Alexander Ovechkin (@aleksandrovechkinofficial) on Nov 2, 2017 at 9:07am PDT
Ovechkin’s message comes at a time of heightened tension between his homeland and the United States over the Kremlin’s alleged tampering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Russia’s own presidential election takes place in March, and while Putin hasn’t formally announced his intention to run for re-election, he’s expected to seek a second six-year term and retain his office.
“I never hid my relationship with our president, always openly supported him. I’m certain that there are many of us that support Vladimir Putin. Let’s unite and show everyone a strong and united Russia. Today, I want to announce a social movement in the name of Putin Team. Be a part of this team – to me it’s a privilege, it’s like the feeling of when you put on the jersey of the Russian team, knowing that the whole country is rooting for you.”
There’s a long history of mutual support between Putin and Ovechkin.
It’s not uncommon for the president to make public appearances with Ovechkin, who lives in Moscow during the NHL offseason. Ovechkin once claimed to have Putin’s private home phone number. When Ovechkin married his longtime girlfriend in July, Putin called to congratulate the couple. Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin joked in August he wouldn’t defy the NHL’s decision to ban players from the 2018 Winter Olympics because “I am not Ovechkin. Putin doesn’t call me.”
Putin has made a point to stage Russia’s national hockey program as a vehicle for political gain, expressing a desire to return the sport to its Soviet Union days when the country was a perennial powerhouse in international competition.
February’s Games in Pyeongchang will mark the first time in Ovechkin’s 13-year NHL career he won’t represent Russia at the Olympics. When the NHL said it wouldn’t allow players to participate, he vowed to fight the decision before eventually conceding a day before Capitals training camp.
