{
  "id": 8071271,
  "title": "Capitals news: Alex Ovechkin breaks silence on appearing in Vladimir Putin ad",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/capitals-news-alex-ovechkin-breaks-silence-on-appearing-in-vladimir",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-17T18:18:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/capitals-news-alex-ovechkin-breaks-181828281.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin has spoken out about his recent appearance in a commercial supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin. The commercial aired this week and featured Ovechkin standing among a group that backed Putin's United Russia party. In an interview, Ovechkin defended his decision to star in the commercial, stating that Russia is his \"home\" and that he sees no issue with being part of the advertisement. He emphasized that his loyalty to his country is a priority, expressing hope that everything will be \"okay.\" Ovechkin, who is a Russian citizen and lives in Moscow with his family, reaffirmed his support for Russia, saying, \"This is my second home.\" The Capitals were aware of Ovechkin's involvement in the spot and assured that his off-ice political activities wouldn't affect his performance in the upcoming NHL season. He filmed the commercial over the summer while in Russia. As the Capitals' captain, Ovechkin has been with the team since 2005, and he is the team's all-time leading scorer with over 900 regular season goals. The Capitals' 2026 season kicks off on October 2, with their first home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 7.",
  "summary": "After appearing in a commercial that supported Russian President Vladimir Putin , Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin has broken his silence. Speaking to reporters, Ovechkin defended his decision to star in the commercial. He conceded that Russia is his “home,” and that is why he didn’t see an issue with being in the commercial. “The thing […] The post Capitals news: Alex Ovechkin breaks…",
  "key_points": [
    "Alex Ovechkin appeared in Putin ad supporting United Russia party",
    "Russian citizen Ovechkin defends decision, calls Russia his \"second home\"",
    "Capitals assured Ovechkin's performance unaffected by off-ice activities"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}