Alexander Ovechkin said Russian athletes want to represent their country while he declined to comment on Russia’s return to IIHF tournaments.
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Washington Capitals star forward Alexander Ovechkin said in Ottawa on Nov. 10, 2026, that Russian athletes want to represent their country, but he did not weigh in on the decision to allow Russia to participate in International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) events.
Ovechkin was asked about Canada’s decision not to grant entry visas to Russian players ahead of the upcoming world junior hockey championships in Alberta next month, and he said fans want to see the best athletes in the world competing.
Russia has been banned from playing in international hockey tournaments since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Last month, the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned that ban, but Ovechkin’s comments came as participating countries have taken their own measures to exclude Russia from competing.
Tuesday night’s game against the Ottawa Senators marked the start of the Canadian leg of Ovechkin’s farewell tour, with the Capitals set to return in April for the second-to-last game of the season.
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