Protests planned outside arena in Canadian city for Alex Ovechkin's visit this week

The Washington Capitals are heading north of the border this week for a matchup with the Ottawa Senators, but the hockey game itself isn't what's generating the most buzz. Instead, the spotlight is on Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, whose ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin's government have sparked organized opposition from one of Canada's most prominent advocacy groups, along with multiple petitions calling on the federal government to take action.

A Rally Against "War Crimes in Ottawa"

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress, commonly known as the UCC, has announced plans for a demonstration outside Canadian Tire Centre ahead of the Tuesday night game. The rally, titled "Rally: No War Crimes in Ottawa," is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. in the arena's west end before puck drop.

The protest is rooted in Ovechkin's public support for the Putin regime. Back in September 2026, the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer appeared in a campaign video promoting United Russia, the governing political party in Russia, ahead of that country's State Duma elections. The UCC flagged the appearance on social media at the time, writing plainly: "Ovechkin is campaigning for United Russia."

In early October, UCC national president Alexandra Chyczij released a statement pulling no punches. She argued that the NHL celebrating Ovechkin while ignoring his backing of what she called a "genocidal regime" amounts to a "moral stain" on the league. Chyczij also stressed that the league's inaction doesn't let the Canadian government off the hook, calling on the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to use existing authority to bar Ovechkin and other supporters of Russia's actions against Ukraine from entering the country.

This isn't the first time the UCC has pushed for a Canadian ban on Ovechkin. The organization made a similar call back in 2022, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Petitions and Political Pressure

Beyond the planned protest, the issue has also found its way onto the floor of Canadian politics. Two separate online petitions posted on the House of Commons website have urged the federal government to consider sanctioning the hockey legend.

One petition, launched by a British Columbia resident and sponsored by Liberal MP Yvan Baker, had collected 2,815 signatures since going live on September 29. It highlights Ovechkin's appearance in the United Russia campaign video and notes that Canada has already imposed sanctions on individuals who support the Russian regime in response to its aggression toward Ukraine. Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, sanctioned individuals can be deemed inadmissible to the country.

A second petition, originating from a Waterloo resident and backed by Liberal MP Bardish Chagger, closed on November 5 with 649 signatures. That petition went further, calling on the government to add Ovechkin to Schedule 1 under the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations, restrict his Canadian financial transactions and ownership, and deny him entry into Canada indefinitely.

It's worth noting that Ovechkin announced in October that this will be his final NHL season, wrapping up a remarkable 22-year career. He surpassed Wayne Gretzky's legendary goals record back in April 2025 and currently sits at 930 career goals. Whether the Canadian government takes any action before his retirement remains to be seen, but Tuesday's game in Ottawa is shaping up to be about far more than what happens on the ice.