The hockey player said he plans to live in Russia after his career ends. "I will stay there, I will live there. And my children will live there, my family," he said. He described Washington as his second home, where he has many friends and where he "grew up as a person."
The United Russia video was released shortly before the elections. In it, Ovechkin stands next to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, one of the five leaders on the party's federal list. Along with the hockey player and Lavrov, the video featured RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan, actor Vladimir Mashkov and other supporters of the authorities.
When asked about the filming, Ovechkin said he agreed immediately: "I said yes. It's simple."
The Washington Capitals responded to the video on September 16. Club press secretary Sergei Kocharov said Ovechkin is a Russian citizen who spends the off-season in Moscow, and that this summer the country asked him to take part in the filming.
According to Ekho, on September 17, Ovechkin's birthday, Republican U.S. Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina sent a public letter to the head of the NHL. The congressman expressed concern over the Russian hockey player's participation in United Russia campaigning.
Back in May, according to RBC, the state pollster VTsIOM included Ovechkin in sociological measurements of potential leaders of the United Russia list, alongside Dmitry Medvedev, Sergei Sobyanin, Sergei Lavrov and Andrei Belousov. The hockey player did not make the top five leaders. Meduza quoted a source involved in the party's campaign as saying Ovechkin's results were better than those of a number of other candidates, but "not such that he should be separately asked and forced," and that he had no desire to take part.
Ovechkin has played in the NHL since 2005. With the Russian national team he won the world championship three times, in 2008, 2012 and 2014, the last time as team captain. He failed to win Olympic medals in 2006, 2010 and 2014.