Alexander Ovechkin

Hockey player

• Born: September 17, 1985
• Place of Birth: Moscow, Russia

Significance: Washington Capital’s Alexander Ovechkin is widely considered one of the greatest goal-scorers of all time. In February 2020, the sniper set the record for the most points scored by a Russian-born player in National Hockey League (NHL) history. Having set or tied several other NHL records, Ovechkin was second in most goals scored by a player in the NHL in 2024 and was closing in on the record.

Background

Alexander Ovechkin was born the youngest of three boys on September 17, 1985, in Moscow, Russia. His parents were both successful athletes. His father, Mikhail, played professional soccer. His mother, Tatyana, won gold medals as a member of the Soviet Union national women’s basketball team in the 1976 and 1980 Olympic Games. Ovechkin’s brother, Mikhail Jr., has worked for the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) team, the Washington Mystics. His brother Sergei died following a car accident when Alex was ten years old.

Ovechkin began playing hockey at age eight after watching it on television. Although he was initially turned away from the 1985 group (so-called for the birth year of the players) due to his inexperience, Ovechkin was allowed to enter Moscow’s Dynamo athletic system at age ten. He would quickly show his promise on the ice. At age twelve, he broke Pavel Bure’s previous record for that age group, scoring more than 56 goals in one season.

Ovechkin was transferred to an adult team when he turned fifteen. He was soon recruited to the Russian Superleague (RSL) for the 2001–02 season, where he played twenty-two games. At age seventeen, Ovechkin made his national debut and played his first full season for HC Dynamo Moscow. Although he was selected by the NHL’s Washington Capitals first overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, he continued to play for the RSL during the 2004–05 NHL lockout, when the season was canceled due to a salary cap dispute.

The Great 8’s History-Making Career

Alexander Ovechkin, known as “the Great 8” because of his jersey number, made his rookie season NHL debut against the Columbus Blue Jackets. In that first game of the 2005–06 season, he scored two goals toward the 52 goals and 54 assists that would earn him the Calder Memorial Trophy as outstanding rookie of the year. In the following season, Ovechkin played well enough to make his first of multiple NHL All-Star Game appearances, but his tremendous talent was not enough to keep the Capitals from finishing last in the Southeast Division. The team made up for the deficit by taking the Division title in the 2007–08 season, during which Ovechkin got his first NHL hat trick, scoring three goals in one game. He scored 65 goals that season, making him the first NHL player to score more than 60 goals in one season since 1996. The Capitals rewarded his efforts with a thirteen-year contract extension worth $124 million. The NHL rewarded him with the Hart Memorial Trophy as the most valuable player to his team, the Rocket Richard Trophy as the leading goal scorer, the Ted Lindsay Award for outstanding player in the regular season, and the Art Ross Trophy for leading the league in points scored. He was the first NHL player to win all four awards in one season.

In February 2009, Ovechkin became the fourth player in NHL history to score 200 goals in the first four seasons. That season, 2008–09, Ovechkin once again led the NHL with 56 goals scored, securing a second Hart Memorial Trophy. The Capitals, having won their second consecutive Southeast Division championship, lost the seven-game Eastern Conference Semifinals after three overtime contests to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The six-foot-three left winger continued to break records season after season. On April 5, 2011, Ovechkin became the sixth-youngest NHL player to score 300 goals. In 2013, he won his third Hart Memorial Trophy after a season in which he scored 32 goals and 24 assists in just forty-eight games. Goal number 400 came in December of the 2013–14 season. When Ovechkin scored goal number 484, he passed fellow countryman Sergei Fedorov for the most goals scored by a Russian-born NHL player. Fedorov set his record in 1,248 games. The Great 8 did it in 777 games.

In May 2018, Ovechkin scored the game-winning goal in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Washington Capitals had not competed in the Finals since 1998. With Ovechkin’s help, the team beat the Vegas Golden Knights to capture their first-ever Stanley Cup.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 led to the suspension of most professional sports. The NHL was no different, pausing the 2019–20 season in March 2020. The season ended abruptly just after Ovechkin scored his 700th NHL goal against the New Jersey Devils. In April 2021, the NHL announced that they would extend the delayed 2020–21 season into May due to COVID outbreaks among several teams.

In July 2021, Ovechkin signed a five-year extension to his contract with the Washington Capitals worth 47.5 million dollars, and he continued to break records. In 2021 and 2022, he set records for the most power-play goals scored and tied the record for most 50-goal seasons. His 757th goal, scored in November 2022, set a record for the most goals scored by one player for a single team. Prior to the 2024-2025 season, Ovechkin was second only to Wayne Gretzky in total goals scored with 853, just 42 shy of Gretzky's mark of 894. Other than the 2023-2024 season and the COVID-shortened 2019-2020 season, Ovechkin had scored 42 or more goals each year from 2017 to 2024, putting the record within reach.

Impact

Alexander Ovechkin changed the face of professional hockey for fans in the Washington, DC area. Prior to his arrival at the Capital One Arena, the team played to a lot of empty seats. Ovechkin’s charisma, both on and off the ice, brought the Capitals a much-needed fan boost. Regarded by many as one of the greatest hockey players in history, Ovechkin displayed a true passion for the sport. His long and impressive career, countless awards and trophies, and his drive to continue playing proved Ovechkin was one of the best.

Personal Life

Ovechkin married Russian model Anastasia Shubskaya in August 2016. Their first child, Sergei, was named in honor of Ovechkin’s late older brother. Sergei was born in 2018. In 2020, their second son Ilya was born. The family divided their time between a home in McLean, Virginia and their country home ninety minutes outside of Moscow.

Bibliography

“Alexander Ovechkin.” Hockey Reference, 2024, www.hockey-reference.com/players/o/ovechal01.html. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.

“Alex Ovechkin Climbs List of NHL All-Time, Power-Play Goal Scorers in Washington Capitals’ Victory.” ESPN, 4 Apr. 2021, www.espn.com/nhl/story/‗/id/31195375/alex-ovechkin-climbs-list-nhl-all-power-play-goal-scorers-washington-capitals-victory. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.

Fendrich, Howard. “Ovechkin Signs Record $124 Million Deal with Capitals.” NHL.com, 10 Jan. 2008, www.nhl.com/news/ovechkin-signs-record-124-million-deal-with-capitals/c-375254. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.

Gulitti, Tom. “Ovechkin Can Break Gretzky's Goals Record This Season, Capitals Coach, GM Say." NHL.com, 19 Aug. 2024, www.nhl.com/news/alex-ovechkin-may-break-wayne-gretzkys-goals-record-this-season.  Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.

Kasabian, Paul. “Alexander Ovechkin Becomes 8th Player in NHL History with 700 Career Goals.” Bleacher Report, 22 Feb. 2020, bleacherreport.com/articles/2876985-alexander-ovechkin-becomes-8th-player-in-nhl-history-with-700-career-goals. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.

Sorensen, Jon. “Alex Ovechkin’s Childhood Path to the Game of Hockey.” NoVa Caps, 25 May 2020, novacapsfans.com/2020/05/25/alex-ovechkins-childhood-path-to-the-game-of-hockey/. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.

Starkey, Ted. “Projecting Alex Ovechkin’s Final NHL Years.” The Hockey Writers, 10 Nov. 2020, thehockeywriters.com/alex-ovechkin-final-nhl-years-projection/. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.