The hockey legacy of Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin is set in stone. Since being drafted in 2004, he's been generally regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation. 

And in the grand scope of Russia's storied hockey history, 'Ovi' could go down as the country's best, topping such legendary names as Sergei Fedorov, Vladislav Tretiak, Pavel Bure and Soviet hero Valeri Kharlamov.

But the one name that could be a threat to his legacy is not a player, or a coach, or a team. It's Vladimir Putin.

His ties to the Russian leader have led to backlash - culminating in a letter from the Ukrainian Canadian Congress asking the Government of Canada to 'refuse Ovechkin entry' into their country ahead of his Washington Capitals' trip to play the Toronto Maple Leafs.

'Ovechkin's refusal to speak out against the genocide in Russia is committing against Ukraine, and his ongoing support of Putin and the Russian regime is offensive to the Ukrainian community in Canada,' the letter, signed by Ukrainian Canadian Congress national president Alexandra Chyczij read.

'Permitting Ovechkin to enter Canada would send the wrong message to Canadians who are already perplexed by what appears to be the unwillingness of the Government of Canada to act against the Russian regime...'

'Allowing Ovechkin to enter and play in Canada would be perceived as preferring the commercial interests of Ovechkin and the National Hockey League over the lives of Ukrainians and would be particularly painful to the families of the many world-class Ukrainian athletes who have lost their lives as a result of Putin's genocidal war.

'Canada is under no obligation to allow Ovechkin to enter our country. In the view of the UCC, allowing persons who do not oppose genocide to enter Canada is incompatible with Canadian values.' 

Last week, Ovechkin netted two goals in a game against the Winnipeg Jets - notching career goal no. 802. That allowed him to pass 'Mr. Hockey' Gordie Howe to become the second greatest goal scorer in the league's history. At 37, it's highly possible he can catch up to the mark of 894 goals set by the sports greatest ever player - Wayne Gretzky.   

Ovechkin has not hidden his affection for the Russian leader. Since starting his Instagram page back in 2014, Ovechkin has posted roughly a dozen images of Putin - some of just the President and some of them together, such as his profile photo. 

And Ovechkin has used his Instagram account to promote Putin's political goals. In 2017, the winger started #PutinTeam, a social media movement to rally support prior to that year's presidential elections in Russia. 

'I have never hidden my attitude towards our President, always openly supporting him,' Ovechkin posted on November 2 of that year. 'I am sure that there are many of us who support Vladimir Putin! So let's unite and show everyone a strong and united Russia!'

Weeks later, Ovechkin announced a website for PutinTeam was launched, along with an Instagram account. 'Team Putin, uniting people who are proud of the country and want to make Russia strong. In our leader, we value trust and respect for people, fairness, decency,' the post read. 

At the time of publishing this story, a check of both the link to the website and the Instagram account on multiple VPNs did not turn up any results. 

When the site was launched, there was some confusion over Ovechkin's role in matters after a Russian financial newspaper reported the movement was started by a Moscow-based consulting agency. 

However, Ovechkin claimed it as his own, saying he wasn't asked to start this by anyone. But the Washington Post reported that some in the Capitals organization felt that Ovi was enlisted in this endeavor.

Moreover, the exact reasons for starting this were vague. Ovechkin said that his reasons for starting this movement were non-political in nature. 

At the time, he seemed acutely aware of how his support for Putin may play out amongst Americans - especially considering he plays in Washington DC.

'I'm not a politic,' Ovechkin said back in 2017. 'I don't know what's happening out there. I know it's a hard situation, but it is what it is. You know, I play here, and this is my second home. I don't want to fight between two countries, because it's going to be a mess.' 

Multiple notable Russians joined Ovechkin's 'PutinTeam', including hockey players like Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin and now-retired stars Pavel Bure and Ilya Kovalchuk.

Beyond starting a political movement to help Putin get re-elected - which he accomplished with 77 percent of the vote - Ovechkin seems to know the leader personally.

The Post reported that Ovechkin has a personal phone number tied to the leader and that Putin gave him a present when he was married in 2016.

When Ovi got backlash for starting the movement back in 2017, he downplayed his friendship with Putin, saying the two didn't have much in common: 'We talk about hockey and all that stuff. That's it.' 

'I just support my country, you know?' Ovechkin said after a game in 2017. 'That's where I'm from, my parents live there, all my friends. Like every human from different countries, they support their president.' 

While Ovechkin hasn't posted a photo of Putin since 2018, Instagram users have left comments criticizing him for not removing the images and failing to hold the Russian president accountable for his role in the war in Ukraine.

On February 25, the day after the invasion began, Ovechkin spoke in a press conference advocating for the end to the war, but littered the message with generalities rather than directly asking for Russia to back out.

'Please, no more war,' Ovechkin said during a press conference with reporters after a practice session. 'It doesn't matter who is in the war — Russia, Ukraine, different countries. I think we live in a world, like, we have to live in peace and a great world.'

He was then asked about his support for Putin, to which Ovechkin responded,  'Well, he is my president. But … I am not in politics. I am an athlete, and, you know, how I said, I hope everything is going to be done soon. 

'It's hard situation right now for both sides and everything, like how I said, everything I hope is going to be end. I'm not in control of this situation.'

That statement drew criticism from the D.C. press, who felt it was disingenuous to ask for an end to the war without forcefully denouncing the man who started it. It seemed they'd rather Ovechkin follow the footsteps of other notable Russian athletes who spoke out against the invasion, like soccer player Fedor Smolov and tennis stars Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev.

'The most admirable path, in the eyes of most of us Americans who are watching in horror with each Russian advancement in Ukraine, would be for Alex Ovechkin to stare squarely into a camera and say, “Vladimir Putin is not my president.”,' wrote Post columnist Barry Svrluga.

'And yet here was Ovechkin... before he was to begin his trek back to his homeland [after the season ended]: “He is my president.”'

However, even if Ovi wanted to call Putin out, there may be one reason why he hasn't said anything yet: the safety of his family.   

As of earlier this year, Ovechkin's wife, children and parents were still living in Moscow. If he suddenly decided to criticize Putin, that may put them in danger.

“This regime is ruthless, and Putin has shown himself to be very vindictive,' said Brian Whitmore, an adjunct professor at the University of Texas at Arlington and a blogger about Russian politics said in May.

'Ovechkin’s family is in Russia, which could make them vulnerable. All Russian athletes, they’re in a very compromised position if they speak out.'

'My family [is] over there. Of course I pay attention [to] what's [happening] out there,' Ovechkin said in February. 'I don't want to see nobody get hurt, nobody get killed. How I said, I hope it's going to be over and we're going to be living in a good world.'

Since that February press conference, Ovechkin and the Capitals as a team seem to be distancing themselves from any discussion of the war.

Longtime teammate Nicklas Backstrom said in an interview with Swedish outlet Expressen (via WashingtonHockeyNow) that he and Ovechkin, 'decided that we wouldn't talk about politics and what's happening [over there]. The same goes for Washington's locker room. No one talks about it.

In addition to Ovechkin, the Capitals roster features fellow Russians Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitry Orlov, and Alexander Alexeyev as well as Belarusian Aliaksei Protas.

Ovechkin hasn't spoken about the war in any depth since February, telling a Washington Post reporter in May, 'I’ve already [denounced] it. I’ve already said that. What else can I say?, later adding, 'He is my president, right? I am Russian. What else can I say?'

His refusal to back away from his support of Putin is not damning enough to ruin his reputation in the eyes of hockey as a whole, but it does hurt him in the eyes of some of the fans of his team - especially those with Ukrainian ties.

'The fact that Ovechkin’s profile photo on his Instagram is himself with Vladimir Putin, it sickens me. It really does,' said Lynn Kessler, a Capitals fan whose husband's family is Ukrainian.

An irony to all of this can be found within the depths of Ovechkin's own Instagram account - in a post from August of 2014 with him holding a sign reading #SaveChildrenFromFascism.

'Our Grandfathers and Grandmothers saw all the horrors of fascism! We will not allow it in our time!,' the post reads in Russian.

In the West, political analysts have debated in sites like Politico, The Conversation, and the New York Times about where Putin's regime lands on the political spectrum - with some believing that fascism is an accurate description.

Qatar-based outlet Al-Jazeera has pointed out instances where Putin has quoted a Russian philosopher who had praise for Mussolini, Hitler and the fascist movement.

Despite all this, Alex Ovechkin will be remembered in time more for his accomplishments on the ice than his politics or his friends he made off it. His friendship and affinity for Putin won’t erase his 800+ goals, Stanley Cup title, or the impact he's made on the sport.

But his hesitancy to condemn Putin may leave a stain on his legacy in the United States. In the country he calls his second home, the opinion of Vladimir Putin will not change.

With the invasion of Ukraine in full force, de-escalation unlikely, and Putin unwavering, Ovechkin’s silence grows louder by the day.