Alex Ovechkin's MassMutual Ad Removed from TV After Russian Invasion of Ukraine

A MassMutual commercial featuring Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin has been pulled off the air in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Per ESPN's Greg Wyshynski, MassMutual confirmed the ad's removal and said its relationship with the 36-year-old Russian was limited to that commercial, which also features his wife, Anastasia Shubskaya, and teammate Nicklas Backstrom.

According to TSN's Rick Westhead, the commercial was scheduled to air on ESPN, TNT and NHL Network all season. The ad debuted in October.

The news comes after Westhead reported that CCM Hockey would stop using Ovechkin and other Russian hockey players for global marketing initiatives for the time being.

"We are very sad to witness, like the rest of the world, what is happening in Ukraine. Although Mr. Ovechkin is not responsible for the Russian government's actions, we took the decision to not use him (or any Russian player) on any global CCM communication at this point," CCM Hockey chief executive Marrouane Nabih stated in an email to TSN.

Ovechkin has supported and campaigned for Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past, notably launching the PutinTeam movement on social media in 2017.

A picture featuring the duo serves as the primary image on Ovechkin's Instagram page.

When asked on Feb. 25 if he still supported Putin and would condemn Russia's actions in Ukraine, Ovechkin replied, in part, as follows:

"Like, I'm Russian, right? Sometimes some things I can't control. You know, it's not in my hands. ... Please, no more war. It doesn't matter who is in the war, Russia, Ukraine, different countries. ... We have to live in peace and a great world."

Ovechkin has played in the NHL since 2005. The three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner is fourth all-time in league history with 762 goals.