Alexander Ovetshkin first met Vladimir Putin 15 years ago and has since praised the president without reservation. Until last weeks, writes Jelena Leppänen.
Many Russian sports followers were furious in May 2014.
The players of the Russian national hockey team presented their brand new Mercedes cars on their social media accounts. Cars were a gift from the president From Vladimir Putin thanks to the World Championships in Minsk.
The idea of the gift was not for Putin, but for the captain of the World Cup team Alexander Ovetshkin, who had expressed a wish for Mercedes to the president in the Kremlin. It was the same GL car model that the administration had previously donated to the Russian medalists at the Sochi Olympics.
A hail of criticism followed the Mercedes of hockey players. It was no secret that the World Cup in Belarus was a rap tournament after the Sochi Olympics, which Russia won quite a bit. after questionable events (switch to another service). The Sochi Games had ended in Russian giant pride in giant disappointment, a semi-final loss to the Lion.
When combined with the financial difficulties of ordinary Russians, the World Cup team’s prize cars showed up in a special light, to say the least.
That did not stop Ovetshkin from asking and Putin from giving.
– The team wanted cars. As captain, I cared about that wish. Maybe our request wasn’t to everyone’s liking, but now we’re doing it. If there is a chance, why not ask? No one would have resented if the answer had been no, Ovetshkin later argued According to Yahoo Sports (switch to another service).
Anyway, 2014 was a special year for hockey superstar and Putin.
In August 2014, Ovetshkin posted to his Instagram account (switch to another service) a picture of himself with a piece of paper that read “Save the Children from Fascism.” It was a propaganda phrase used by the Kremlin in the war in eastern Ukraine. Even then, the Russian authorities created the impression that the Ukrainian regime consisted of fascists and Nazis.
Ovetshkin was also the most famous figure who took part in that image campaign.
– I’m not trying to take a stand. As a Russian, I have a lot of friends in Ukraine. I just don’t want a war. No one wants a war. It’s hard to watch, especially when you live so close to Ukraine. The people who live there don’t want a war. They just want a good life, like all of us, the hockey player explained In an ESPN interview (you switch to another service).
How it all started
Even during his career, Ovetsh has not concealed his attachment to Vladimir Putin. The star striker has made laudatory statements about the president and wore shirts with pictures of Putin.
According to Russian media, the duo met face to face for the first time since the 2007 World Cup. 21-year-old Ovetshkin caught only three power points on the Russian bronze team, but he was still the only player to qualify as head coach Vyacheslav Bykovin and the chairman of the country’s hockey association Vladislav Tretyak accompanied to Putin’s reception.
Side has grown year by year. When Ovetshkin married a Russian model Anastasia Shubskaya with the summer of 2017, Putin remembered the couple on the tea set. Ovetshkin told you later (switch to another service) the special meaning of the wedding gift.
Ovetshkin expressed its greatest support in November 2017, six months before the Russian presidential election. He said on Instagram that he had founded the Putin Team to support Vladimir Putin’s candidacy. Ovetsh also received support from Russian entertainment and sports faces, including former top hockey players From Ilya Kovaltshuk, Pavel Burelta and From Vyacheslav Fetisov.
“Hi, I’m Alexander Ovetshkin. I created Putin’s Team to unite people who are proud of Russia and our president and want to make our country stronger.”
When the bearish power striker realized his long-term career dream and reached the Stanley Cup 2018 with the Washington Capitals, Putin sent his congratulations and said he was in warm terms with Ovetshkin.
A complete dead end
At a press conference a couple of weeks ago, there was no trace of words of praise. Ovetshkin was asked after the exercises by the Washington Capitals about the war in Ukraine that Putin had recently started. In front of the reporters sat a visually troubled figure who emphasized that he was above all an athlete.
– He is my president, Ovetshkin answered the question whether he still supports Vladimir Putin.
– But like I said, I’m not in politics, I’m an athlete. I hope the war is over soon. This is a difficult situation for both sides.
The star hockey player was careful and embarrassed, but he was nowhere near condemning Putin’s actions. The mere choice of the word “my president” can be interpreted in Russian as saying that Ovetshkin is and will remain on Putin’s side.
The Capitals of the Overshkin NHL have signaled a particularly difficult time for the Russian captain of the team at war. However, it must be remembered that Ovetsh himself did much more than himself as an athlete. He got involved in politics back in 2014 and at the latest with his Putin Team.
Ovetshkin is still taking a stand. The hockey player’s 1.6 million followers see his Instagram account as a profile picture with Putin. It can only look bad in the current world.
Capitals has tried to explain the profile picture by saying that Ovetshkin’s wife, children and parents are in Russia. According to public information, Ovetshkin would have liked to have changed his profile symbol to a symbol of peace, but concerns about the safety of the family made him flinch his decision.
The theory has not gone through for nearly everyone.
The internationally influential puck star, worshiped by the Russians, and his family are not treated in Russia like ordinary protesters or activists. Deleting the common picture or an anti-war statement would be a blow to Putin’s prestige and the relationship between the duo, but in Ovetshkin’s hours of publicity and popularity, it’s hard to see it putting the puck star family in concrete danger.
“Ovetsh himself did a lot more than himself as an athlete. He got involved in politics back in 2014 and at the latest with his Putin Team.”
For Washington Capitals supporters, the situation is confusing.
Ovetshkin, 36, who has represented Capitals throughout his NHL career, is the club’s best player to ever lead the capital to the first Stanley Cup championship in its history in the spring of 2018. The skill and uncomplicated character of a Russian striker who has skipped Capitals for 12 years is admired around the world. Outside the troughs, Ovetshkin has been in the eyes of many with a reputation for being a family-oriented and child-loving person, the classic good Guy.
However, all the above factors are overshadowed by the actions of the Ukrainian war and the Russian regime. Over the years, Ovetsh has also – more or less consciously – created a situation in which he is a hostage to Putin and his actions.
That may mean the legendary number of kasia will not be remembered after their careers primarily for their historic goals, NHL records, or loyalty to the same club.
In the eyes of many, Ovetsh may be remembered above all as an admirer of a suspected war criminal.