Tretyak highly appreciated Ovechkin's role in world hockey

Vladislav Tretyak, President of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, described Alexander Ovechkin, a Russian hockey player and captain of the Washington Capitals, as a hockey hero. He made such a statement in a conversation with Izvestia on March 26.

"The boys are playing Ovechkin because he's really the hero of hockey today," Tretyak said.

He noted that Ovechkin is now approaching Wayne Gretzky's record for the number of goals scored. The head of the federation expressed confidence that the Russian player would be able to break the Canadian's record, as he had come a long way from being a graduate of Dynamo Moscow to the leader of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Separately, the president of the Russian Hockey Federation noted that Ovechkin is a true patriot of his country and serves as an idol for many.

"When I first saw Ovechkin in the team, I didn't dare approach"

Washington forward Alexei Protas — about the game with the Great Eight, salary and Belarusian records in the NHL

On the same day, Ovechkin scored his 889th NHL goal and reduced the gap from Gretzky to five goals. A Russian hockey player sent the puck into the opponent's goal during the Washington Capitals vs Winnipeg Jets match.