Overview
- The Ukrainian Canadian Congress is organizing a rally outside Ottawa’s Canadian Tire Centre to coincide with the Washington Capitals’ visit to the Senators, and the group says the protest will focus on Ovechkin’s relationship with Russia’s leadership.
- Organizers are explicitly calling on the Canadian government to sanction Ovechkin, arguing that his ties to Vladimir Putin and his appearance in a September campaign ad for United Russia make him ineligible for normal public welcomes.
- The visit is Ovechkin’s first trip to Canada since he announced he will retire at the end of his 22nd NHL season, and protesters plan to use the game to draw public attention to their demands.
- Ovechkin has a history of publicly supporting Putin while also urging an end to the war in Ukraine, and the Capitals said he was asked to appear in the September video while he was spending the off-season in Russia.
- The protest reflects wider Ukrainian-Canadian mobilization and raises questions about how Canada and the NHL should treat high-profile athletes with political ties to foreign leaders, and it could increase pressure on federal officials to respond.