Capitals LW Alex Ovechkin has given an "unwavering endorsement" to Russia President Vladimir Putin with a recent social media campaign, and the situation is "certainly a thorny one" for both the team and NHL, according to a front-page piece by Maese, Khurshudyan & Roth of the WASHINGTON POST. Ovechkin recently announced a "PutinTeam" movement on Instagram, saying that it "was his idea, though there are signs that a Kremlin-backed public-relations firm might have played a role." Ovechkin last week also announced the "soft launch of a new Russian-language website -- putinteam.ru," but it was "not immediately clear who funded and created the site or who was running its associated pages on Facebook, Instagram and other social networks." The "official line from the Kremlin is that Putin did not know in advance about Ovechkin’s plans, though the Russian president certainly welcomed the gesture." But Capitals personnel are "under the impression that Ovechkin was asked to create PutinTeam, and Russian media have begun connecting dots back to the Russian government." Ovechkin's effort has "attracted only a handful of high-profile supporters," including Hockey HOFer Pavel Bure, former NHLer Ilya Kovalchuk, Penguins C Evgeni Malkin and chess grandmaster Sergey Karjakin.
STICKY SITUATION: The Capitals "prefer for Ovechkin to discuss the situation himself, keeping team brass at arm’s length from a sensitive topic." But team officials know that "even off the ice, one of the game’s most recognizable players must always represent Russia" as well as the Capitals. Ovechkin now finds himself "awkwardly in the middle of a geopolitical maelstrom." But Ovechkin "insists his advocacy is free of politics." His fame and success have "afforded him an unusually close relationship with the Kremlin." He has a "personal phone number for Putin and received a wedding present from the Russian leader last year." He said that he is "aware that vocally supporting Putin could rub some Americans the wrong way, but Capitals fans are still showing up to games, still wearing Ovechkin’s No. 8 jersey." While the Capitals "may not be eager to discuss Ovechkin’s relationship with Putin, team officials are aware that it could upset some fans." At the same time, they "accept the demands being placed on him from Moscow and recognize the franchise has at times had to work around them" (WASHINGTON POST, 11/26).
