Republican congressman presses NHL over Alex Ovechkin’s appearance in Putin party campaign ad, tell me about this news in (https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/republican-congressman-presses-nhl-alex-ovechkin-appearance-putin-party-campaign-ad)

Here is a summary of the article published by OutKick / Fox News:

• The Core Issue: U.S. Representative Joe Wilson (Republican from South Carolina) sent a formal letter to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, pressing the league over Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin’s appearance in a political campaign advertisement for the pro-Vladimir Putin ruling party, United Russia. Capitals owner Ted Leonsis was also copied on the letter.

• The Campaign Video: Ovechkin appears in the video alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and state media figure Margarita Simonyan ahead of Russia’s parliamentary elections. In the ad, Ovechkin does not speak but stands behind Lavrov.

• Wilson’s Demands: While Wilson acknowledged that Ovechkin has a right to his personal opinions, he called his participation in campaign material for Putin’s party “shameful” for the captain of a team in the U.S. capital. Wilson did not explicitly ask for a suspension or fine, but he demanded that the NHL clarify whether it has policies regarding active players participating in political advertisements for foreign regimes. He also insisted that the NHL and the Capitals make clear that Ovechkin’s participation does not represent either organization. In interviews and on social media, Wilson referred to Putin as a war criminal and stated that being associated with him should carry consequences. Wilson also noted he was discussing the matter with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch.

• The Team’s Response: A spokesperson for the Washington Capitals stated that Ovechkin is a Russian citizen who spends the offseason in Moscow and that he was “asked by his country to participate in a video campaign” while home over the summer. The team stated that their focus remains on the upcoming NHL season and Ovechkin’s contributions on the ice. The NHL itself did not issue an immediate official response.