Penguins' Evgeni Malkin joins 'Putin Team'

Scott Gleeson | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption NHL Wraparound: Who is hit or miss so far this season? SportsPulse: NHL insider Kevin Allen looks at who is improving over last season and who is disappointing so far.

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin has joined fellow Russian player Alex Ovechkin on the "Putin Team" to show support for Russian president Vladimir Putin, who is expected to be up for re-election in March.

“We want (Putin) to understand that we support him,” Malkin told reporters Thursday, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We play here (in the United States). We’re far away, but we understand what’s going on. We try to be together. It’s not like me or (Ovechkin) are the right-hand (men) for Putin. We just try to offer our support because, in 2018, we have the World Cup in Russia; they have elections, too. It’s a tough year. We want to be together and support him.

“I don’t know what’s going on here. (Whether Americans) don’t like or like him. I’m not trying to read everything. I just want to support him.”

Malkin posted a picture on Instagram (and later on Twitter) earlier this week of himself posing with Putin when both were wearing Russian national team jerseys. He tagged Ovechkin's Instagram handle and wrote, "Putin team."

Ovechkin, the Washington Capitals captain, attempted to start a social media movement earlier this month in support of Putin, which the Kremlin supported.

MORE: Canadiens suffer 'embarrassing' regulation home loss to Coyotes

MORE: NHL's strict enforcement of slashing leading to more goals

Neither player will be in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games because the NHL did not want to disrupt the hockey season. Malkin and Ovechkin have expressed disappointment with that decision.

Malkin said of the Pyeongchang Games: “It’s a tough time right now about Olympics, what’s going on (with the Russian) doping (scandal). It’s a tough situation, I want to support not just the president, I want to support all athletics and support my country.”

Putin team. Я в команде @aleksandrovechkinofficial A post shared by Evgeni Malkin (@e.malkin71geno) on Nov 12, 2017 at 8:38am PST

PHOTOS: NHL hat trick tracker