OTTAWA — Liberal MPs are condemning a pro hockey player’s support for the Putin regime but are stopping short of calling for him to be banned from Canada. The Ukrainian Canadian Congress is calling on Ottawa to sanction and ban Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin for appearing in a commercial for a party aligned with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ovechkin appeared in a television ad standing behind Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as Lavrov vowed “no mercy” for those who attack Russia. The UCC is repeating calls from 2022 for Ovechkin to be banned for supporting Putin, who attacked in Ukraine in 2014 and launched a full-scale invasion in 2022. Ovechkin said this week he wants peace and participated in the ad because he was asked to do so. Justice Minister Sean Fraser said Ovechkin is “at best wilfully blind” to Russian atrocities but stopped short of calling for sanctions. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2026. Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press
