102 Facts About Ovechkin

Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League.

Ovechkin has been named to the NHL first All-Star team eight times, and the second All-Star team a further four times.

Ovechkin has scored 50 goals in a season nine times, tying Mike Bossy and Wayne Gretzky for the most 50-goal seasons in NHL history, and is currently third all-time for career goals.

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

In 2018, Ovechkin won the Stanley Cup for the first time, and was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for most valuable player in the 2018 playoffs.

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

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

Ovechkin was born on 17 September 1985 in Moscow, the son of Soviet athletes.

Ovechkin's mother sensed her youngest son was destined for "sporting greatness".

When Ovechkin was 10, his brother Sergei died of a blood clot following a car accident.

Ovechkin had a youth hockey game the next day, which his parents insisted he play in.

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.

Meanwhile, Ovechkin dreamed of playing in the NHL, keeping the cards of star players stashed in his room, especially those of his idol, Mario Lemieux.

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

Ovechkin would spend three seasons there prior to being drafted by the NHL, and he would rack up 36 goals and 32 assists in 152 career games.

Ovechkin had been projected as the first overall pick for nearly two years and had earned comparisons to Mario Lemieux.

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.

Rick Dudley, the general manager of the Panthers, claimed the pick was legitimate, claiming that Ovechkin was old enough with leap years taken into consideration.

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

On 1 February, 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.

Ovechkin finished third overall in the NHL in scoring with 106 points and tied for third in goals with 52.

Ovechkin was named to the NHL first All-Star team, the first rookie to receive the honor in 15 years.

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

The following season, Ovechkin appeared in his first NHL All-Star Game in Dallas on 24 January 2007.

Ovechkin completed his second NHL season with 46 goals and 92 points.

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Late in the season, on 3 March 2008, Ovechkin notched his 50th, 51st and 52nd goals of the campaign for his fourth career NHL hat trick and to hit the 50-goal mark for the second time in his career.

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.

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

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

Ovechkin was awarded his third consecutive Kharlamov Trophy, named after Soviet hockey star Valeri Kharlamov and presented by Sovetsky Sport newspaper, as the best Russian NHL player as voted by other Russian NHL players.

On 5 February 2009, Ovechkin scored his 200th goal, against the Los Angeles Kings, becoming only the fourth player in the NHL to reach the milestone in four seasons, joining Wayne Gretzky, Mike Bossy and Mario Lemieux.

Ovechkin finished the campaign with 56 goals to capture his second consecutive Rocket Richard Trophy, joining Jarome Iginla and Pavel Bure as the third player to win the award twice and the second player after Bure to win the award in back-to-back seasons.

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

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.

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

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

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

Ovechkin is the fifth player to achieve the milestone in only five seasons, reaching it in 373 career games.

Ovechkin was called for boarding, receiving a five-minute major and a game misconduct, and was suspended for two games.

Ovechkin led the NHL in goals per game and points per game for three straight seasons, from 2008 to 2010.

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

The following day, Ovechkin announced he would not attend the 2012 NHL All-Star Game due to the suspension.

Ovechkin combined his 32 goals with 24 assists, giving him 56 points, good for third-most points in the NHL.

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

Ovechkin only scored two points in a first-round exit of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs against the New York Rangers, during which he played with a hairline fracture in his foot.

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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.

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

On 4 November 2014, in a game against the Calgary Flames, Ovechkin recorded his 826th point, a franchise record, surpassing Peter Bondra, who previously held the record with 825 points.

On 31 March 2015, in a game against the Carolina Hurricanes, Ovechkin scored his 50th goal of the year and became the sixth player in NHL history to have six 50-goal seasons, joining Guy Lafleur, Mike Bossy, Wayne Gretzky, Marcel Dionne and Mario Lemieux.

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

On 12 March 2018, Ovechkin scored his 600th career goal, making him the 20th player to do so, and the fourth to do so in less than 1,000 games.

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

The Capitals broke the trend with Ovechkin assisting Evgeny Kuznetsov's game six overtime goal to clinch his first Eastern Conference finals appearance in 13 seasons with the Capitals.

Ovechkin won the Conn Smythe trophy, awarded to the most valuable player for his team in the playoffs.

On 6 December 2018, Ovechkin became the fastest player in NHL history and ninth overall to take 5,000 shots on goal, reaching that mark in 1,031 career games.

Ovechkin had a career-best 14 game point streak during the season, which included back-to-back hat tricks.

Ovechkin was named a captain for the 2019 National Hockey League All-Star Game, but announced that he was choosing to skip the game to rest, forcing him to serve an automatic one game suspension as a result.

Ovechkin would be named captain again the next year, and again chose to skip the game to rest, and would serve another one game suspension.

Ovechkin scored his 28th career hat trick, tying Marcel Dionne and Bobby Hull for sixth most in NHL history, on 26 November 2021.

On 16 March 2022, Ovechkin scored his 767th career NHL goal, moving him into third place for goals scored all-time in the NHL, passing Jaromir Jagr; he achieved the feat in 477 fewer games than Jagr, yet had taken 400 more shots on goal.

On 20 April 2022, Ovechkin scored his 50th goal of the season for the ninth time in his career, tying Mike Bossy and Wayne Gretzky for having the most 50-goal seasons in NHL history.

Ovechkin is widely considered one of the greatest goal scorers in NHL history, with what some consider a real chance at overtaking Wayne Gretzky in total career goals.

Ovechkin has been awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy honoring the most valuable player in the league three times.

Ovechkin still is one of the most dangerous players with the puck on the rush and in the high-slot.

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

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Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau came to Ovechkin's defense, stating Cherry "doesn't know Alex like we know Alex", and Ovechkin himself stated that he "doesn't care" about Cherry.

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

Ovechkin currently uses the Ribcor Trigger stick and Super Tacks AS1 skates.

At the age of 16, Ovechkin played at the 2002 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, where he scored two hat tricks, one against Switzerland and one against the United States, and an assist.

Ovechkin was selected to play at the 2002 IIHF World U18 Championships, in which he amassed 14 goals and four assists in eight games, leading Russia to a silver medal.

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

At the age of 19, 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.

Also at 19, Ovechkin was named captain of the junior team in the 2005 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

Ovechkin scored five goals and three assists, landing eighth in the top scorers list and sharing third place in goal scoring.

Ovechkin was the only player not on the Swedish or Finnish teams to be named to the all-tournament team.

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

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

Ovechkin finished with two goals and two assists in Russia's four games.

Ovechkin joined the Russian team for the 2011 IIHF World Championships after the Capitals were eliminated from the NHL playoffs.

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.

Ovechkin played in Russia's last three games of the 2012 IIHF World Championships.

Ovechkin recorded two goals and two assists as Russia won the tournament.

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

Ovechkin participated in the 2014 IIHF World Championships where Russia won gold.

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

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Ovechkin was the cover athlete of 2K Sports hockey simulation video game NHL 2K10, as well as the cover athlete of EA Sports' NHL 07 and NHL 21.

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

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

Ovechkin is a dedicated car enthusiast, owning many fine automobiles, such as a Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series and a custom Mercedes S63 AMG.

At the 2015 NHL All-Star Game, Ovechkin lobbied Honda for a new car, and brought an element of fun silliness to the "draft" where he was chosen third to last; the last two players selected, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Filip Forsberg, each received a new car, but Ovechkin would not give up.

That Accord was auctioned off, and the proceeds used to benefit the charity Ovechkin highlighted and brought attention to with his antics.

Ovechkin is a keen football fan and an avid supporter of Liverpool FC He is an investor in the Washington Spirit, a professional team in the National Women's Soccer League.

Ovechkin wore the number 3 jersey in honor of his father, who wore the number when he played football for the club.

Ovechkin has claimed that the idea for Putin Team was all his and that the group is non-political in its nature.

Ovechkin has a personal phone number for Putin, who is a big hockey fan, and received a gift from Putin at his 2016 wedding.

On 25 February 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ovechkin called for peace without mentioning Russia or Ukraine directly.

Ovechkin was reportedly involved in a feud with Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin, who was drafted second behind Ovechkin in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

The feud may have started in August 2007 when Ovechkin supposedly punched Malkin's Russian agent, Gennady Ushakov, at a Moscow nightclub.

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

On 21 January 2008, in Pittsburgh, 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.

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

On 24 February 2020, Ovechkin's wife announced via Instagram that they were expecting their second child.