PutinTeam is a social movement announced in 2017 by NHL player Alexander Ovechkin to support Russian President Vladimir Putin

Washington Capitals Russian-born star Alex Ovechkin addressed Russia's invasion of Ukraine last week, calling it a "hard situation" because he has friends in both countries. He said he hoped that the conflict would end soon and "there would be peace in the whole world."

The interest in what Ovechkin had to say was strong because he has previously expressed support for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ovechkin's Instagram profile picture is of him with Putin.

Wikpedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PutinTeam

PutinTeam is a social movement announced in 2017 by NHL player Alexander Ovechkin to support Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ovechkin has a personal relationship with Putin. Ovechkin has a personal phone number for Putin and received a present from Putin at his wedding in 2016.

PutinTeam was first announced in a November 2, 2017 post on Ovechkin’s Instagram account, which has over one million followers. [non-primary source needed] On November 23, Ovechkin announced on his Instagram that the group's official website had been launched. On the soft launch of the site, visitors were encouraged to sign up for the team, track related news, participate in contests and attend and organize events.

Ovechkin has claimed that the idea for PutinTeam was all his and that the group is non-political in its nature. However, Vedomosti, a Russian financial newspaper, reported that Kremlin sources have said that IMA-Consulting were behind the creation of the organization.

The Kremlin spoke in support of the movement after its announcement.

Fellow NHL player Evgeni Malkin, who announced his own support for the movement, stated, "We want (Putin) to understand that we support him….We just try to offer our support because, in 2018, we have the World Cup in Russia; they have elections, too."