Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin said athletes “just want to play” as the Ukrainian Canadian Congress planned a Tuesday protest outside Ottawa’s Canadian Tire Centre over his support for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

CBC reported that the demonstration was planned to coincide with Ovechkin’s first game on Canadian soil this season.

“I'm not there, I'm not sitting there, I'm not making any decisions,” Ovechkin told reporters Tuesday morning, according to CBC. “As athletes ... we just want to play and that's it.”

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress has called on the federal government to deny Ovechkin entry to Canada. The organization objects to his public endorsements of Putin and the ruling United Russia party in the context of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

In September, Ovechkin defended his appearance in a United Russia campaign advertisement, saying: “I'm Russian, and I support my country.”

CBC’s report described the Ottawa protest as planned; it did not establish that the demonstration had taken place.

Ovechkin announced in October that this season would be his last. He has previously said he intends to return to Russia after retiring.

This article is based on reporting by CBC’s Anchal Sharma, with files from David Fraser and The Canadian Press.

Sources