Washington Capitals superstar captain Alex Ovechkin, a native of Russia who was born in Moscow, asked for “no more war” while speaking to reporters on Friday in Philadelphia.
Ovechkin, 36, was making his first public comments since Russia sent troops into Ukraine on Thursday. The three-time Hart Trophy recipient wasn’t made available to the media later that day.
“Please, no more war,” Ovechkin said Friday from Philadelphia, one day prior to the Capitals squaring off against the host Flyers.
“It doesn’t matter who is in the war – Russia, Ukraine, different countries – I think we live in a world, like, we have to live in peace and a great world.”
Israeli-Canadian hockey player Eliezer Sherbatov trying to get out of harm’s way in Ukraine
Ovechkin was asked about his feelings on Russian President Vladimir Putin. Previously, Ovechkin expressed his support of Putin during an Instagram post in 2017, and his Instagram account features a picture of himself and the Russian president as his profile picture.
“Well, he is my President. But how I said, I am not in politics. I am an athlete and you know, how I said, I hope everything is going to be done soon,” Ovechkin said. “It’s [a] hard situation right now for both sides and everything. Everything I hope is going to end. I’m not in control of this situation.”
Ovechkin’s wife, children and parents are in Russia. He said he is uncertain if they will stay there.
“My family is over there, of course I pay attention [to] what’s [happening’ out there,” Ovechkin said. “I don’t want to see nobody get hurt, nobody get killed. How I said, I hope it’s going to be over and we’re gonna be living in a good world.”