By Rory Carroll
(Reuters) – A MassMutual ad featuring Washington Capitals’ Russian captain Alexander Ovechkin is no longer on the air, the U.S. life insurance company told Reuters on Tuesday.
The insurer declined to say why the ad was no longer being run.
The decision comes amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Russia says is a “special operation”.
The move comes after TSN reported that Canadian ice hockey equipment brand CCM Hockey would stop using Ovechkin and other Russian NHL players in global marketing initiatives.
“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 chief executive Marrouane Nabih told the Canadian sports network.
CCM did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The National Hockey League (NHL) suspended ties with its Russian business partners on Monday and condemned the invasion in Ukraine, days after Ovechkin, one of the league’s most prolific goal scorers, called for peace.
Ovechkin had previously voiced strong support for Russia President Vladimir Putin and formed a public movement in 2017 called “Putin Team” ahead of the former KGB spy’s successful bid for a fourth term as president.
Ovechkin, 36, is also a veteran member of the Russian national team.
The International Ice Hockey Federation this week suspended Russian and Belarusian teams from its competitions until further notice and revoked Russia’s 2023 World Junior Championship hosting rights.
(Additional reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
