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OTTAWA — Alexander Ovechkin’s first visit to Canada in his final NHL season comes amid plenty of controversy.

The Washington Capitals’ captain and the NHL’s all-time leading goal-scorer is retiring after this season, his 22nd in the league. But when the Capitals face the Senators in Ottawa tonight, the Russian star could face some hostility.

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress is organizing a demonstration outside the Canadian Tire Centre, called “No War Crimes in Hockey,” to protest Ovechkin’s support for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

A separate controversy is brewing around Russia’s reinstatement into international hockey by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Russia has been banned from playing since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has said Russian players won’t be allowed to represent their country at next month’s world junior hockey championship in Alberta.

Tuesday’s game in Ottawa marks the 41-year-old Ovechkin’s first visit to Canada since announcing his retirement. Washington plays in Ottawa once more this season, on April 8.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 10, 2026.

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