Washington Capitals condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, 'stand in full support of our Russian players and their families'

The Washington Capitals released a statement on Tuesday that condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine while the team stood in «full support» of its Russia-born players. «Monumental Sports & Entertainment and the Washington Capitals join the National Hockey League in condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the loss of innocent life. We urge and hope for a peaceful resolution as quickly as possible,» the Capitals said.

It's the first statement the Capitals have made about the war in Ukraine, coming 11 days after captain Alex Ovechkin made his only comments about the Russian invasion.

Ovechkin, 36, has been an ardent supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin over the years. In 2017, he campaigned on behalf of Putin by starting a social media movement called Putin Team. His Instagram profile photo features him posing with Putin.

«Please, no more war. It doesn't matter who is in the war — Russia, Ukraine, different countries — we have to live in peace,» Ovechkin said on Feb. 25.

When asked whether he supports Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Ovechkin said, «I'm Russian, right? It's not something I can control. It's not in my hands. I hope it's going to end soon and there's going to be peace in both countries. I don't control this one.»

In their statement on Tuesday, the Capitals said they will support their Russian-born players Ovechkin, forward Evgeny Kuznetsov, defenseman Dmitry Orlov and goalie Ilya Samsonov.

«The Capitals also stand in full support of our Russian players and their families overseas. We realize they are being put in a difficult situation and stand by to offer our assistance to them and their families,» said the team.

Ovechkin lamented that the invasion had been a «hard situation» for him.

«Obviously,