52 Facts About Alex Ovechkin

1. On 11 September 2015, Alex Ovechkin announced via Instagram his engagement to Nastya Shubskaya whom he subsequently married.

2. On 21 January 2008, in Pittsburgh, when Alex Ovechkin took a run at Malkin, which would have seemingly resulted in a devastating hit had Malkin not ducked out of the way just in time.

3. Alex Ovechkin has denied that version of events, while Malkin confirmed it.

4. In November 2017 Alex Ovechkin started a movement called PutinTeam in support of Russian President Vladimir Putin with the support of Russian actors, sportsmen, musicians and NHL players including Evgeni Malkin, Ilya Kovalchuk and others.

5. On 6 July 2009, Alex Ovechkin was named an ambassador for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

6. On 11 June 2008, Alex Ovechkin launched his own line of designer streetwear with CCM.

7. Alex Ovechkin is the cover athlete of 2K Sports hockey simulation video game NHL 2K10, as well as the cover athlete of EA Sports' NHL 07.

8. Alex Ovechkin joined the Russian team late in the 2015 IIHF World Championships, where Russia won the silver medal.

9. Alex Ovechkin joined the national team after the Capitals were eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2013.

10. Alex Ovechkin played in five games for the Russian team, but did not manage to score any points, the first time he failed to score any points in a World Championship tournament.

11. Alex Ovechkin was selected to the Media All-Star Team for the second time in five tournament appearances.

12. At the 2008 IIHF World Championships, Alex Ovechkin helped lead Russia to the gold medal by finishing with 12 points in nine games.

13. Alex Ovechkin was the only player not on the Swedish or Finnish (silver medal winners) teams to be named to the all-tournament team.

14. In 2006, Alex Ovechkin played in his first Winter Olympic Games.

15. At the age of 19, Alex Ovechkin was named to the Russian national team for the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, making him the youngest player to play in the tournament.

16. At the age of 18, Alex Ovechkin was named captain of the junior Russian national team.

17. Alex Ovechkin holds the record for most points scored in IIHF U18 World Championships with 31 points in 14 games.

18. At the age of 16, Alex Ovechkin helped lead the junior national team to the gold medal with two hat tricks, one against Switzerland and one against the United States, and an assist.

19. Alex Ovechkin continued to use Bauer equipment until the 2017 season, when he switched back to CCM.

20. Alex Ovechkin is known as a durable player, losing little time to injuries.

21. Alex Ovechkin went on to become the first Russian player to captain a team to the Stanley Cup.

22. Alex Ovechkin said, 'I'm going to show you I'm still a great player.

23. On 23 May 2018, Alex Ovechkin helped lead the Capitals to the Stanley Cup Finals for their first time since 1998—going on to help them win their first national championship in franchise history.

24. Alex Ovechkin became the second player, tied with Bobby Hull, to win the NHL's goal scoring title seven times.

25. On 11 January 2017, Alex Ovechkin scored his 1,000th career point, becoming the 37th player in NHL history to reach 1,000 points with only one team.

26. Alex Ovechkin became the sixth fastest player to ever reach that mark, getting it in 634 games, one less than Pavel Bure.

27. Alex Ovechkin had switched to playing right wing that entire season so was voted to the First All-Star Team's right wing, but because some voters were not aware of the change, voted for him at his traditional left wing position, therefore landing him left wing on the Second All-Star Team.

28. Alex Ovechkin was awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy for the third time in his career.

29. On 23 January 2012, Alex Ovechkin received a three-game suspension for a hit on Zbynek Michalek of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

30. Alex Ovechkin became the first European, second-youngest and 14th overall captain in team history.

31. On 5 January 2010, Alex Ovechkin was named captain of the Washington Capitals after previous captain Chris Clark was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

32. Alex Ovechkin was assessed a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct at the time.

33. Alex Ovechkin went on to win the Hart and Pearson trophies for the second consecutive year, becoming the seventeenth player to win the Hart multiple times.

34. Alex Ovechkin finished the 2009 playoffs with a post-season career-high 21 points in 14 games.

35. Alex Ovechkin scored nine points in seven games against the Flyers as the Capitals were eliminated in the opening round.

36. Alex Ovechkin scored the game-winning goal in his NHL playoff debut with less than five minutes left in game 1 against the Philadelphia Flyers.

37. Alex Ovechkin helped lead a rejuvenated Capitals team back to the Stanley Cup playoffs with a stronger supporting cast that included countryman Alexander Semin, rookie center Nicklas Backstrom and defenseman Mike Green.

38. Alex Ovechkin was a finalist in his rookie season for the Lester B Pearson Award.

39. Alex Ovechkin was named to the NHL First All-Star Team, the first rookie to receive the honor in 15 years.

40. On 1 February, Alex Ovechkin was named NHL Rookie of the Month for January 2006 as well as being named Offensive Player of the Month, becoming only the third player in NHL history to earn both honors simultaneously.

41. On 13 January 2006, in Anaheim, Alex Ovechkin scored his first career hat trick against Jean-Sebastien Giguere of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to help Washington win the game.

42. Alex Ovechkin was so highly regarded that the Florida Panthers attempted to draft him in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft in the ninth round, even though his birthday was two days after the cut-off.

43. Alex Ovechkin began playing in the Russian Super League in Dynamo Moscow at the age of 16.

44. Alex Ovechkin made a name for himself in the Dynamo Moscow system when at 11 he scored 56 goals, breaking Pavel Bure's record of 53.

45. When he scores, Alex Ovechkin will often kiss his glove and point to the sky in a salute to his brother.

46. Alex Ovechkin credits his elder brother Sergei for introducing him to, and encouraging him to pursue, hockey.

47. Alex Ovechkin was born on 17 September 1985, in Moscow, the son of well-known Soviet athletes.

48. Alex Ovechkin has played for Russia at the Winter Olympics in 2006, 2010, and 2014.

49. Alex Ovechkin played two more years at the World Juniors, as well as once more at the World U18 Championships.

50. Alex Ovechkin won his first Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018, and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs.

51. In 2017, Alex Ovechkin was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players of all-time.

52. Alex Ovechkin has led the NHL in goal scoring seven times, which is tied for the most times in history with Bobby Hull.