Protesters rally outside NHL game in Canada to make wild case for banning Alex Ovechkin from the country

Russian sports teams are already banned from most athletic competitions around the world, but for some Ukrainian protesters, that isn’t enough.

Looking to hone in on individual athletes, protesters in Ottawa, Canada’s capital, called for banning the greatest goal-scorer in NHL history, Alexander Ovechkin.

‘Ovechkin is promoting Russia’s genocide against Ukraine.’

Ovechkin and his Washington Capitals visited the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, and drew a crowd of Ukrainian supporters outside the arena. The picketers were part of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and held signs like “Ban Ovechkin” outside the Canadian Tire Centre arena.

One of its members, Mike Ryndzak, told the Canadian state broadcaster that it was “absolutely not acceptable” for Ovechkin, a native Russian, to support his country during the Russia-Ukraine war.

“It’s a war. Destruction and devastation is