Alberta’s NHL clubs supporting Ukraine with Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin set to arrive

When asked about his relationship with Vladimir Putin, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin said "he's my president, but I'm not in politics. I'm an athlete."

The Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames have demonstrated support for Ukraine and its struggle to repel Russia’s invasion, but how far will Alberta’s NHL clubs and their fans go when league star Alex Ovechkin is in their buildings?

The Washington Capitals are in Calgary on Tuesday and Edmonton on Wednesday.

Ovechkin has historically been a vocal supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the Capitals’ captain’s Instagram account features a photo of himself standing beside Putin.

A picture of the two is also Ovechkin’s Instagram profile photo.

When Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, Ovechkin told reporters “please, no more war.”

When asked about his relationship with Putin, Ovechkin said “he’s my president, but I’m not in politics. I’m an athlete.”

There are nearly 370,000 Albertans of Ukrainian origin, according to a 2016 Statistics Canada census, which is the second-largest among Canada’s provinces and territories.