Biography of Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Ovechkin (known as Alexander the Great, Ovi, or the Great Eight by his fans) is one of the best forwards in modern hockey history. He is skilled, fast, and incredibly accurate. His physical style of play, often criticized, leads his teams to victories, and his signature toothless smile has sparked many girls' interest in hockey. On April 6, 2025, Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky's 31-year record to become the NHL's top scorer with 895 goals.
Early Years, Childhood, and Family
Alexander Ovechkin was born on September 17, 1985, into a Moscow family that wasn't involved in hockey, but was athletic. His mother, Tatyana Ovechkina, was a well-known basketball player in the USSR. Her achievements included numerous matches for the Soviet Union national team and the title of a two-time Olympic champion.
At eight, Alexander suddenly developed a love for hockey. It happened like this: Mikhail was watching a Dynamo match against an obscure team on TV. The game was sluggish, so he switched the channel, causing Alexander to throw a tantrum. They had to turn hockey back on, and until the end of the match, the boy, not even knowing the rules, watched the players' actions in fascination.
At 12, Alexander's team played against Vympel. Before the match, a coach mentioned that the famous hockey player Pavel Bure had scored 56 goals at the Moscow championship at that age. Ovechkin had slightly fewer — 53. Alexander got into the zone and scored six goals in that memorable match, breaking Bure's childhood record.
Hockey Career
After that, there were many more spectacular matches and game achievements. Seeing the progress of the young player, the bosses of Moscow's "Dynamo" included the promising forward in the main team. In 2000, Alexander was first included in the roster for a Russian Superleague match. A year later, he became a key player for HC Dynamo Moscow.In 2003, representatives from the NHL club "Florida Panthers" contacted the player's agent. That time, the deal to move to the world's strongest league fell through. However, it became clear that the talented young player wouldn't stay in the Russian Superleague for long. Eventually, that's exactly what happened.
After the lockout ended, Ovechkin signed a contract with the Washington team. They offered him a record salary for an NHL rookie — he earned $3.85 million in one season. On October 5, 2005, he played his first NHL game against the "Columbus Blue Jackets." During the match, he scored twice and led his team to victory.
In May 2008, Ovechkin was called up to the Russian national team. That year was triumphant for the team: for the first time in 15 years, they won the "gold," defeating the host of the tournament, Canada. Ovechkin missed the next World Championship due to participating in the Stanley Cup.
In early 2010, Ovechkin became the team's captain, replacing Chris Clark, who left for "Columbus."
Personal Life of Alexander Ovechkin
The famous hockey player's name frequently appeared in overseas press headlines due to various high-profile romances. Over the years, journalists linked the Russian athlete to well-known beauties like Victoria Lopyreva, Zhanna Friske, and even Fergie (the lead singer of Black Eyed Peas). It's hard to judge how true these rumors are.The hockey player dated famous Russian tennis player Maria Kirilenko for a long time. On December 31, 2012, the couple announced their engagement. However, in mid-2014, the hockey star's press service announced their breakup. Later, Maria gave an interview where she said she was tired of "certain habits of Alexander" and wished him happiness in his future career. Rumors spread in the media that the breakup was caused by the hockey player's affair with 19-year-old gymnast Karolina Sevastyanova.
Source:
@nastyashubskaya
The couple's eldest son showed interest in hockey at the age of two. But Alexander and Anastasia don’t want to pressure him or insist that he pursue this sport.
Alexander Ovechkin is the founder of the public movement "Putin Team," aimed at uniting supporters of the Russian president. He publicly announced the creation of this movement in November 2017 through his page on the social network Instagram, which is banned in Russia:Alexander Ovechkin on his eldest sonAs soon as he started walking well, he almost immediately grabbed a stick. We even have a video of him at two years old flipping the puck on the stick's blade, it flips in the air, and he catches it. Even adults don't always manage that trick.
After Ovechkin's announcement, several other Russian athletes, including gymnast Svetlana Khorkina and mixed martial artist Fedor Emelianenko, joined the movement. The organization conducted various actions in support of Putin, published materials on social networks, and participated in public events. However, over time, the activity of "Putin Team" in the public space decreased.Today I want to announce the creation of a public movement called Putin Team. Being part of such a team is a pride for me, similar to the feeling when you wear the Russian national team jersey, knowing the whole country supports you. I am sure there are many of us who support Vladimir Putin! So let's unite and show everyone a strong and united Russia.
Alexander Ovechkin Now
On April 6, 2025, Alexander Ovechkin officially became the greatest goal scorer in NHL regular season history, surpassing Wayne Gretzky's legendary mark, which had been a record since March 1994, for 31 years.In a game against the New York Islanders, the Russian forward scored his 895th goal, firmly securing his place in hockey history.
The captain of the Washington Capitals reached this incredible milestone after playing 1,487 NHL games.
The landmark goal became the culmination of Ovechkin's impressive 20-year career in the league, which began on October 5, 2005, when the 20-year-old forward scored his first two goals in his debut game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
At the celebratory ceremony after this historic achievement, Alexander delivered an emotional speech, concluding with the words: "The whole world, Russians, we did it!"