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Fresh off of winning the 2018 Stanley Cup, Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin may soon attend the first game of the World Cup in Russia.
“Soon we will contact Ovechkin to invite him to the World Cup opening game,” Alexey Sorokin, the CEO of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Local Organizing Committee, said on Friday.
That’s a big deal for Ovi, as fans affectionately call him. After all, he’s a native Russian and would likely get star treatment when his country takes on Saudi Arabia in the World Cup’s first game on June 14. But as of now, it’s unclear if he’ll attend.
Ovechkin continues to be a somewhat polarizing figure, especially as tensions between Russia and the United States — and allegations of collusion between President Donald Trump’s campaign and Moscow — continue to grow.
Mainly, it’s because the hockey pro is an unabashed supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He’s even gone as far as to kick-start a social movement to back the dictator called “PutinTeam.” Ovechkin has also posted photos of the two of them on the verge of embracing, bro-like, in matching white shirts.
Having Ovechkin at the game would also be a big deal for, well, Russia. He remains one of the country’s most successful and recognizable athletes. If Ovechkin attends — and possibly brings the Stanley Cup trophy with him — it could serve as a point of national pride for the country during the World Cup.
So it’s possible that next week, there will be more images of Ovechkin getting up close and personal with Putin. But whether or not the hockey star attends the games, he will still remain one of the few beloved links between Washington and Moscow.
