The key facts

  • The rally by the Ukrainian community of Canada will take place near the Canadian Tire Centre arena before the game against Washington
  • Ottawa announced upcoming security measures for fans
  • Criticism in North America is linked to the United Russia video in September

Protest ahead of the game in Ottawa

Members of the Ukrainian community of Canada are organizing a protest in Ottawa over the arrival of Russian Washington Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin for an away game against the Ottawa Senators. This was reported by CTV News, as cited by Gazeta.Ru. The rally is planned to be held near Ottawa's home arena — the Canadian Tire Centre — before the start of the game, which is scheduled for the night of November 11 Moscow time.

The club's reaction and context

The Ottawa Senators said they are aware of the planned protest and intend to take the necessary measures to ensure the safety of fans. According to the outlet, in September Ovechkin appeared in a video for United Russia ahead of the State Duma elections, after which he faced criticism in North America. The game against Ottawa will be one of the away games for the 40-year-old Washington captain in his final NHL season: Ovechkin is the leading goal scorer in the history of the league's regular seasons with 930 goals, and including the playoffs he ranks second among the top scorers, trailing Wayne Gretzky — 1,007 versus 1,016 goals. This has no direct connection to the rally, but it explains the heightened attention to the hockey player's arrival in the Canadian capital.