Ukrainian Canadian Congress Asks Government To Not Allow Ovechkin Into Canada

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress has made a request to the Canadian government to refuse Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin permission travel to Canada to play hockey.

On Wednesday, the UCC, which is a nonprofit organization that "represents the Ukrainian Canadian community before the people and government of Canada," penned a letter explaining that the 37-year-old, who requires a visa to enter and play hockey in Canada, should not be allowed into the country, alleging that he has been a "long-time supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin."

"[He] campaigned for him in the fraudulent Russian election in 2018. Ovechkin continues to support Putin as "his president" even in the face of Russia's genocidal war in Ukraine," the UCC wrote in the letter posted on its website. "Ovechkin has never condemned Russia's genocidal war and continues to post a photo of himself with Putin on his social media account.

"Ovechkin's refusal to speak out against the genocide Russia is committing against Ukraine, and his ongoing support of Putin and the Russian regime is offensive to the Ukrainian community in Canada. Permitting Ovechkin to enter Canada would send the wrong message to Canadians who are already perplexed by what appears to be the unwillingness of the Government of Canada to act against the Russian regime in Canada."

The request cites the date Jan. 23, 2023. Washington is slated to play the Toronto Maple Leafs on Jan. 29 Ontario, and the Capitals also play Montreal in Quebec on April 6, 2023.

Ovechkin addressed the media regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine back on Feb. 25, 2022, when it had just started, and asked for "no more war."

"Obviously, it's hard situation. I have lots of friends in Russia and Ukraine and it's hard to see the war," Ovechkin said back in February. "I hope soon it's going to be over, and it's going to be peace in the whole world."

He also called it a "hard situation" and said that while Putin is his president, he is not in politics and does not have influence over the situation back home.

"I'm Russian, right? Something I can't control, you know, it's not in my hands," Ovechkin said. "How I said, I hope it's going to end soon, and it's going to be peace in both countries. You know, I don't control this one… He's my president. How I said, I'm not in politics, like, I'm an athlete," Ovechkin said. "How I said, hope everything is going to be done soon. It's hard situation right now for both sides, and everything how, I said, everything I hope is going to be end. I'm not control the situation.

"It's hard. It's hard situation. I have family back in Russia and it's scary moments, but we can't do anything. We just hope it's going to be end soon and everything's going to be alright.

"Like how I said, my family over there. Of course [we] pay attention what's happened out there. I don't want to see nobody get hurt, nobody get killed. How I said, hope it's going to be over, and we going to be living in good world… Please no more war. Doesn't matter who's in the war. Russia, Ukraine, different countries. I think we live in the world, like we have to live in peace and great world," Ovechkin said.

Ovechkin's current profile picture on Instagram features him and Putin and has been on his profile since before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A report from the New York Times also indicated that Ovechkin was advised not to change his profile picture with his family still overseas. Ovechkin also helped start "PutinTeam" back in 2017, a social movem ent in support of Putin.

The Russian winger is currently chasing Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL goals record after passing Gordie Howe for second place in NHL history on Dec. 23 against the Winnipeg Jets. He sits at 803 career goals.

Here is the full letter from the UCC, which can also be found here.