Alberta's NHL clubs supporting Ukraine with Capitals' Alex Ovechkin set to arrive

The Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames have demonstrated support for Ukraine and its struggle to repel Russia's invasion, but how far will Alberta's NHL clubs and their fans go when league star Alex Ovechkin is in their buildings?

Ovechkin has historically been a vocal supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the Capitals' captain's Instagram account features a photo of himself standing beside Putin.

When Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, Ovechkin told reporters "please, no more war."

When asked about his relationship with Putin, Ovechkin said "he's my president, but I'm not in politics. I'm an athlete."

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin media availability after practice in Philadelphia. <a href="https://t.co/y2gxFpV3CL">pic.twitter.com/y2gxFpV3CL</a>

There are nearly 370,000 Albertans of Ukrainian origin, according to a 2016 Statistics Canada census, which is the second-largest among Canada's provinces and territories.

The Edmonton Oilers' support of Ukraine was emphatic Saturday when Oilers' helmets bore stickers of Ukraine's flag and a men's choir sang both the Ukrainian anthem and O Canada before a game against Montreal at Rogers Place.

We're auctioning off the special edition <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Oilers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Oilers</a> helmets, sticks &amp; locker room nameplates from last night in support of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation!