WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States adheres to the principles of free speech and free thought, a US Department of State spokesperson told Sputnik on Friday regarding the plans of the Washington Capitals hockey team captain Alexander Ovechkin to create a public movement abroad in support of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
READ MORE: Ice Hockey Star Alex Ovechkin Takes Selfie Wearing Vladimir Putin T-shirt
On Tuesday, Ovechkin wrote on Instagram he was creating a public movement abroad called "Putin Team" whose goal was to unite all supporters of the Russian president abroad. By the time this article was published, his Instagram post had got more than 84.000 likes.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday that Moscow welcomed the player's initiative.
READ MORE: Alexander Ovechkin Sets NHL's 100-Year Hat Trick Record (VIDEO)
Ovechkin was the first pick in the first round of the 2004 National Hockey league (NHL) draft and has since played for the Washington Capitals. A sole exception is Ovechkin’s short stint in his first club — Dynamo Moscow during the 2012-13 NHL lockout.
He holds a number of NHL's and club's records and is a three-time World Hockey Champion.
