In Canada, the NHL proposed to withdraw Ovechkin's number from circulation.

The Canadian coach of the Shanghai Dragons club of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), Mitch Love, suggested that the leadership of the National Hockey League (NHL) withdraw the number of the Russian captain of the Washington Capitals, Alexander Ovechkin, from circulation.

"Ovechkin should be on a par with people like Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe and Bobby Orr — the greatest hockey players in history. I believe that the league should withdraw his number from circulation," he said on Thursday, February 12, in an interview with Lenta.Ru .

Ovechkin plays for the Washington Capitals at number 8. He has been playing with the team since 2005, and his contract ends on June 30, 2026. Ovechkin has played 59 NHL games this season, scoring 48 points (22 goals + 26 assists).

Ovechkin has only played for the Washington Capitals throughout his NHL career. In 2018, he led the club to victory in the Stanley Cup. In addition, the striker holds the league record for the most goals in the regular season, with 919 goals. In total, Ovechkin has 996 goals in his NHL career, he is 20 goals away from Wayne Gretzky's all-time record, which includes goals in the regular season and playoffs.

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The capital's team is fighting with competitors and is trying to sign Panarin.

Earlier, on February 11, Canadian Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson, who is taking part in the 2026 Olympics, drew up his own version of the ideal Canadian national team, which included his teammate Ovechkin, according to the website. kp.ru .

According to Wilson, the ideal Canadian national team looks like this: Nathan McKinnon (speed category), Connor McDavid (hands), Alexander Ovechkin/Wayne Gretzky ("style"), Steve Yzerman ("Hockey IQ"), Chris Pronger ("Endurance"), Jerome Iginla ("Heart"), Sidney Crosby ("The Key Player"), Shea Weber ("The Throw").

Ovechkin set a new record on February 3, surpassing Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretzky in the number of points scored for one club in the NHL. Thanks to an assist in the match against the New York Islanders, he reached 1,670 points and rose to fifth place in the historical league rankings.

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