Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin, also known as “The Great Eight” and “Ovi,” is a Russian professional winger and the captain of the Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League (NHL). With his exceptional skill, speed, and physical dominance, Ovechkin is widely regarded as one of the greatest ice-hockey players in the world. He has won the Hart Memorial Trophy three times as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player and is considered one of the greatest goal-scorers in NHL history. From a young age, Ovechkin displayed a passion for the game and trained under the development program of HC Dynamo Moscow. Since being selected by the Washington Capitals in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, he has consistently showcased his brilliance on the ice, both in the NHL and for the Russian national team. Ovechkin has achieved numerous milestones, set records, and earned numerous awards and accolades throughout his career. He is married to model Anastasia Shubskaya.
Quick Facts
- Nick Name: The Great Eight
- Also Known As: Aleksandr Mikhaylovich Ovechkin
- Age: 38 Years, 38 Year Old Males
- Family:
- Spouse/Ex-: Anastasia Shubskaya (m. 2016)
- Father: Mikhail Ovechkin
- Mother: Tatyana Ovechkin
- Siblings: Sergei Ovechkin
- Born Country: Russia
- Ice Hockey Players
- Russian Men
- Height: 6’3″ (190 cm), 6’3″ Males
- Notable Alumni: Russian State University Of Physical Education, Sport, Youth, And Tourism
- City: Moscow, Russia
- More Facts
- Education: Russian State University Of Physical Education, Sport, Youth, And Tourism
- Awards: Order of Honour, Honored Master of Sports of Russia, Gold medal, Silver medal, Bronze medal
Childhood & Early Life
Alexander Ovechkin was born on September 17, 1985, in Moscow, Russia, into a family of sportspersons. His father, Mikhail Ovechkin, is a former professional soccer player, and his mother, Tatyana, is a well-known Russian basketball player who has won two ‘Olympic’ gold medals as part of the Russian women’s basketball team in 1976 and 1980.
As a child, Ovechkin developed a keen interest in hockey. When Ovechkin was 8 years old, his elder brother, Sergei, encouraged him and helped him with training. Unfortunately, his brother died in a car accident when Ovechkin was 10 years old.
Ovechkin’s was inspired by Mario Lemieux of the ‘Pittsburgh Penguins.’ Later, he was invited to join the development program of the ‘RSL’ team ‘HC Dynamo Moscow.’ At the age of 11, he scored 56 goals, breaking Pavel Bure’s record of 53 goals.
Career
Ovechkin began his professional career at the age of 16 and played for ‘Dynamo Moscow’ during the 2001–2002 season. By 18, he won the ‘RSL’ award for the best left-wing in the league. In 2003, he was included in the Russian team to play at the ‘World Junior Hockey Championship,’ where his tournament-leading 6 goals helped Russia win the gold. In the 2004–2005 season, he recorded 27 points in 37 games, but he missed two month’s play due to a shoulder injury that occurred during the 2005 ‘World Junior Championship’ against Canada.
He was selected by the ‘Washington Capitals’ first overall in the 2004 ‘NHL Entry Draft.’ Due to the ‘NHL’ lockout, the 2004–2005 season was canceled, and Ovechkin joined the ‘Washington Capitals’ as a rookie for the 2005–2006 season. He was compared with another promising rookie: Sidney Crosby of the ‘Pittsburgh Penguins.’ Ovechkin scored an extraordinary goal in a January game against the ‘Phoenix Coyotes,’ which became a memorable moment in the history of ice hockey. Ovechkin finished the season with 106 points, 52 goals, and 54 assists. He was awarded the ‘Calder Memorial Trophy’ for being the best rookie of the year. He was also first rookie in 15 years to be selected for the ‘NHL First All-Star Team.’
In the 2006–2007 season, he continued to excel, with 46 goals and 92 points. He played for the ‘First All-Star Team.’ However, the ‘Washington Capitals’ could not win for the second year in succession. During the 2007–2008 season, he led the team to a division title, scored 65 goals (and 112 points), which was first time since 1996 that a player had scored more than 60 goals in a season. He won his first ‘Hart Memorial Trophy’ at the end of the season. He was the first player to be awarded four major post-season awards: the ‘Lester B Pearson Award’ for the most outstanding player, the ‘Hart Memorial Trophy’ for the league’s ‘MVP,’ the ‘Art Ross Trophy’ for the league’s leading point-getter, and the ‘Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy’ for the league’s leading goal-scorer.
The same season, his earlier three-year contract was extended to a 13-year $124 million contract, which is the richest in the league’s history. When he won the ‘Hart Trophy,’ Ovechkin was given the key to Washington by Mayor Adrian Fenty.
In the 2008–2009 season, the ‘Washington Capitals’ again won the division crown, and Ovechkin scored 56 goals in the season to win his second ‘Hart Trophy’ and ‘Pearson Award.’ In February 2009, he became the fourth player to score his 200th goal in just four seasons.
In January 2010, he was named the captain of the ‘Washington Capitals.’ In February the same year, he reached his 500-point milestone in ‘NHL,’ becoming the fifth player to achieve the feat in five seasons. In 2010, he won the ‘Pearson Award,’ now known as the ‘Ted Lindsay Award,’ for the third consecutive year. The same year, he was named to the ‘First All-Star Team,’ making it his fifth inclusion in the team.
The next two seasons were not as high-scoring for him as the previous seasons. In 2013, he earned the ‘Hart Trophy’ again and led the ‘NHL’ in goals. He won the ‘Richard Trophy’ in 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2018, scoring 50 or more goals in five of those seasons. He became the third player to have seven 50-goal seasons.
Ovechkin led the league in goals for four consecutive seasons, from 2012 to 2016. During the 2015–2016 season, he scored his career’s 500th goal.
Awards & Achievements
Some of his most prominent awards are the ‘Calder Memorial Trophy’ for the best rookie of the year (2006), and the ‘Hart Memorial Trophy’ as the ‘MVP’ (2008, 2009, and 2013).
He won the ‘Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy’ seven times. The trophy is awarded for scoring the highest number of goals.
Ovechkin received the ‘Lester B Pearson Award’, also known as the ‘Ted Lindsay Award,’ awarded to the most outstanding player, for three consecutive years: 2008, 2009, and 2010.
He won the ‘Art Ross Trophy’ for being the ‘Scoring Leader’ in 2008. He received the ‘Prince of Wales Trophy’ in 2018 and the ‘Kharlamov Trophy’ seven times.
‘Asteroid 257261 Ovechkin’ was named after him, in honor of his contribution to sports. He was honored with a sightseeing bus in Washington DC, by ‘Ride of Fame.’
Personal Life
In December 2012, he got engaged to tennis player Maria Kirilenko. However, the engagement was called off in July 2014. Later, in 2015, he announced his engagement with model Anastasia Shubskaya, daughter of actor Vera Glagoleva. They got married in July 2017.