Hockey player and captain of the Washington Capitals Alexander Ovechkin. Biography

Alexander Ovechkin is a Russian ice hockey player who plays as a left winger. He is the captain of the National Hockey League (NHL) club. Washington Capitals, Stanley Cup winner and three-time world champion. Ovechkin is recognized as one of the most productive players in the history of world hockey and ranks second in the list of the best NHL regular season snipers of all time. About the athlete's life and sporting achievements — in the material of Izvestia.

Childhood and family

Alexander Ovechkin was born on September 17, 1985 in Moscow into a family of professional athletes. His mother, Tatiana Ovechkina, is a two—time Olympic basketball champion, and his father, Mikhail Ovechkin, played for the Dynamo Moscow football club. The sports environment had a decisive influence on the choice of a future hockey player's life path. At the age of eight, he began studying at the Dynamo hockey school, where he completed all levels of training in the club's system.

The beginning of a professional career

Ovechkin made his professional debut in 2001 as a member of Dynamo Moscow in the Russian Super League. At the age of 16, he became one of the youngest players in the history of the national championships. In the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, the striker was selected as the overall number one by the Washington Capitals. However, due to the lockout in the North American League, he spent one more season in Russia, becoming the national champion with Dynamo in 2005.

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Career in the NHL and the Russian national team

The move to the USA took place in 2005. In his first season, Ovechkin won the Calder Trophy as the league's best rookie. Throughout his NHL career, he has remained loyal to the Washington Capitals, becoming a long-time leader and captain of the team. In 2018, the hockey player led the club to the first Stanley Cup in its history.

As a member of the Russian national team, Alexander Ovechkin became the world champion three times (in 2008, 2012 and 2014). He regularly participated in the Olympic Games and other major international tournaments, being one of the key players of the national team for two decades.

Ovechkin continues his playing career with the Washington Capitals and has signed a new one-year contract with the club. The main vector of his professional activity remains the achievement of the NHL sniper record. The athlete actively participates in public life and remains one of the main media figures in world hockey.

Records and achievements

Alexander Ovechkin holds the status of the best European sniper in the history of the NHL. He ranks second in the number of goals scored in the regular season, behind only Wayne Gretzky. The hockey player is a multiple winner of individual awards, including the Maurice Richard Trophy (the prize for the best sniper), the Hart Trophy (the most valuable player according to journalists) and the Ted Lindsay Award (the most outstanding player according to the hockey players' union).

Personal life

Since 2016, Alexander Ovechkin has been married to Anastasia Shubskaya. In 2018, the couple had a son, Sergey, and in 2020, a son, Ilya.