Members of the Canadian Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) organized a protest outside the Canadian Tire Centre (CTC) in Ottawa on Tuesday in objection to Alex Ovechkin’s first game on Canadian soil this season.
The captain of the Washington Capitals has long been criticized for his staunch support of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“It’s absolutely not acceptable,” Mike Ryndzak, a member of the UCC said of Ovechkin’s participation in the game against the Ottawa Senators.
“It’s a war. Destruction and devastation is going on as we speak and for them it’s business as usual,” he said.
A small group of protestors joined him outside the arena before the game started, with more planning to protest inside.
“I see [so much] support from the ordinary Canadian people. It means a lot to me,” Ryndzak added, waving a Ukrainian flag. Others held up signs reading “Ban Ovechkin.”
Speaking to reporters at CTC on Tuesday morning, Ovechkin seemed unbothered by the accusations or the UCC’s objection to his presence in Canada.
“I just heard about [the protest] this morning and I don’t know what to say,” he said. “Lots of protests going on around the world.”
In September, he defended his decision to appear in a campaign ad for the ruling United Russia party, saying: “I’m Russian, and I support my country.”
That same day, NATO member Latvia, which borders Russia, announced Ovechkin’s inclusion on a list of “personae non gratae” and prohibited his entry into that republic. The UCC has been calling on Canada to do the same.
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In a statement posted on its website last month, the organization pointed to Section 318 of Canada’s Criminal Code which states that “every person who advocates or promotes genocide is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than five years.”
The UCC argues that “by explicitly, continually and publicly endorsing Russian president Putin and his political party, Ovechkin is promoting Russia’s genocide against Ukraine.”
Canada hasn’t gone so far as to deny Ovechkin entry into the country, but Prime Minister Mark Carney announced last week that Russian players will not be allowed to compete at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Alberta this December.
“While Russia and Belorussia [sic] are supporting this illegal, unjustified, horrific war in Ukraine, as long as that’s going on, there will be none of those athletes competing for their countries in Canada,” Carney said when asked if Russian players would be denied visas.
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Ovechkin also responded to that decision on Tuesday, suggesting that banning Russian players would be a disservice to hockey fans.
“The fans want to see the best players out there, and the fans want to see young generation players who [are] gonna be future stars, future NHLers … but you know, it’s not up to us,” he said.
Ovechkin evaded a question about Russia using its success in sport to foster support for its political agenda, emphasizing that athletes just want to represent their countries.
Ahead of Tuesday’s game, a CBC reporter asked Ovechkin whether he was comfortable being used as a propaganda tool by the Russian state. “Nobody’s using me,” he replied.
In October, Ovechkin announced this season would be his last. He has previously stated he intends to move back to Russia after he retires.
