ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Alex Ovechkin says he's “for peace and love" after the Russian hockey star appeared in an ad for a party aligned with Vladimir Putin during the offseason.
The video for the United Russia party came to light this week, days before Ovechkin's Washington Capitals held their annual media day Thursday. The NHL's career goal-scoring leader is back with the Capitals for a 22nd season.
Ovechkin is seen in the commercial standing behind Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Longtime Soviet hockey star Viacheslav Fetisov also participated.
“I’m Russian, and I support my country," Ovechkin said Thursday. "I’m for peace and love, and I hope in the world it doesn’t matter who you are, I hope everybody understands everybody wants peace, and everybody hope everything’s going to be OK in the world.”
Ovechkin said he did not hesitate to participate in the ad.
“They asked me to do that. I say yes," he said. "So it’s as simple as that.”
Ovechkin previously voiced support for the Russian president in 2017 when he started a social movement called the “Putin Team.” At the time, he told reporters from the AP and The Washington Post, “I just support my country."
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Ovechkin said, “Please, no more war,” when asked about the situation. Asked then about his relationship with Putin, Ovechkin said: “He’s my president, but I’m not in politics. I’m an athlete.”
Russia’s parliamentary election this week features United Russia, plus nine others that all support Putin’s policies. The only party that opposed the war in Ukraine has been barred from the ballot.
Ovechkin, who turned 41 on Thursday, confirmed he plans to live in Russia when he retires from the NHL.
“I’m going to stay there. I’m going to live there, my kids are going to live there, family. So I’m for peace and love, and I hope everything’s going to be OK,” Ovechkin said. “My home is Russia. DC is my second home. I have lots of friends. I grew up here as a person and I love DC. This is my second home. So I hope everything’s going to be OK, and how I said — peace and love for everybody.”
There was speculation last season would be Ovechkin's last, but he chose to stay with the Capitals for at least another year — and he remains noncommital about what the future might hold after 2026-27.
“I'm focusing right now on training camp,” Ovechkin said. “I have to make the team.”
See AP’s full NHL coverage here
FILE - Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin reacts after he was named the first star after an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, April 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A man who sprayed vinegar at Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar during a Minneapolis town hall was sentenced Thursday to 14 months in prison.
Anthony Kazmierczak was sentenced nearly eight months after the Jan. 27 assault. At the time, Minneapolis-St. Paul was subject to an immigration crackdown that led to angry protests, arrests and the deaths of two U.S. citizens.
During an earlier hearing, Kazmierczak, who is in his mid-50s, was unable to explain his actions. Omar was not hurt in the attack.
Prosecutors had recommended a 14-month prison term.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The man who sprayed vinegar at Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar during a Minneapolis town hall meeting as the city was going through an immigration crackdown and the deaths of two U.S. citizens is expected to be sentenced Thursday after reaching a deal with prosecutors.
Prosecutors had recommended a 14-month prison term for Anthony Kazmierczak.
In an earlier hearing, Kazmierczak, who is in his mid-50s, could give no explanation of what happened in the Jan. 27 assault.
“It’s fuzzy,” he told U.S. District Judge Joan N. Ericksen when asked what he remembered.
Witnesses saw Kazmierczak jump up from the audience during the meeting, spraying liquid from a syringe at Omar and saying she was “splitting Minnesota apart.” Omar’s security officers quickly tackled Kazmierczak to the ground, then took him to police officers who placed him under arrest.
Omar was not injured and continued with the town hall after the arrest.
“I’m sorry if I scared you,” he wrote to Omar later, accepting responsibility for what he’d done.
Authorities later determined he’d sprayed her with a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar. He was charged with assaulting a U.S. officer.
The government sentencing memorandum, submitted to the court by prosecutors, said he had texted at least three people indicating he planned to do something at the meeting involving Omar “but would not answer their questions about his intent.”
He also sent messages to a neighbor to arrange for dog care and contacts for a bail bond company.
The sentencing memo said Kazmierczak had long struggled with alcohol abuse, had “a history of mental and emotional health concerns” and also had a string of health issues tied to a 2022 diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.
Omar, a refugee from Somalia, has long been a target of President Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric. After she was elected seven years ago, Trump said she should “go back” to her home country. He has described her as “garbage” and said she should be investigated.
In social media posts, Kazmierczak had criticized former President Joe Biden and referred to Democrats as “angry and liars.” Trump wants the U.S. to be “stronger and more prosperous,” he wrote.
The attack on Omar came amid Operation Metro Surge, when more than 2,000 immigration officers swept through the Twin Cities in a dramatic crackdown that led to angry protests, arrests and the deaths of two U.S. citizens.
The story has been updated to correct the day of the sentencing to Thursday, from Wednesday.
FILE - A man is tackled to the ground after spraying an unknown substance on U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., during a town hall on Jan. 27, 2026, in Minneapolis. (Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Minnesota Star Tribune via AP, File)
FILE - Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., speaks during a news conference on Jan. 28, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray, File)
