Ovechkin has a personal relationship with Putin.[2] Ovechkin has a personal phone number for Putin and received a present from Putin at his wedding in 2016.[2]
PutinTeam was first announced in a November 2, 2017 post on Ovechkin’s Instagram account, which has over one million followers.[3][non-primary source needed] On November 23, Ovechkin announced on his Instagram that the group's official website had been launched.[1] 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.[2]
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.[2]
The Kremlin spoke in support of the movement after its announcement.[4][5]
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."[4][6]
^Ovechkin, Alexander (November 2, 2017). "instagram post". www.instragam.com. Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-24. Retrieved November 26, 2017.