Biography of Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Ovechkin (known as Alexander the Great, Ovi, or the Great Eight by his fans) is one of the greatest 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 grin has gotten many fans hooked on 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 connected to hockey but had serious athletic credentials. His mother, Tatyana Ovechkina, was a well-known basketball player in the USSR. She racked up countless games for the Soviet Union national team and claimed two Olympic gold medals.
At eight, Alexander suddenly fell head over heels for hockey. Here's how it went down: Mikhail was watching a Dynamo match against some no-name team on TV. The game was boring, so he changed the channel — and Alexander completely lost it. They had to switch back to hockey, and the boy — who didn't even know the rules — watched every move with total fascination until the final buzzer.
When Alexander was 12, his team faced off against Vympel. Before the game, a coach mentioned that hockey legend Pavel Bure had netted 56 goals in the Moscow championship at that same age. Ovechkin was sitting at 53. Alexander went into beast mode and buried six goals in that unforgettable game, smashing Bure's childhood record.
Hockey Career
From there, he delivered countless spectacular performances and achievements. Impressed by the young player's progress, Moscow Dynamo's management promoted the promising forward to the main roster. In 2000, Alexander made his Russian Superleague debut. A year later, he became a key player for HC Dynamo Moscow.In 2003, the NHL's Florida Panthers reached out to his agent. The deal to join the world's premier league fell through. However, it was clear the talented youngster wouldn't remain in the Russian Superleague much longer. Eventually, that's exactly what happened.
When the lockout ended, Ovechkin inked a deal with Washington. The team offered him a record rookie salary — $3.85 million for one season. On October 5, 2005, he made his NHL debut against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He scored twice in the game, leading his team to victory.
In May 2008, Ovechkin was called up to the Russian national team. It was a triumphant year for the team: they claimed gold for the first time in 15 years, defeating tournament hosts Canada. Ovechkin missed the following World Championship while competing for the Stanley Cup.
Ovechkin was named team captain in early 2010, taking over from Chris Clark, who had departed for Columbus.
Personal Life of Alexander Ovechkin
The hockey superstar's love life regularly made international headlines with various high-profile romances. Over the years, media outlets connected him to celebrities including Victoria Lopyreva, Zhanna Friske, and even Fergie (the lead singer of Black Eyed Peas). The accuracy of these reports remains unclear.He had a long-term relationship with Russian tennis star Maria Kirilenko for a long time. On December 31, 2012, the couple announced their engagement. However, his representatives announced their split in mid-2014. Maria later revealed in an interview that she'd grown tired of "certain habits of Alexander's" and wished him well in his 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 when he was just two years old. But Alexander and Anastasia don't want to pressure him into pursuing the sport.
Alexander Ovechkin founded the public movement "Putin Team," designed to unite supporters of the Russian president. He publicly announced the movement's creation in November 2017 through his Instagram page, on the social network that's now banned in Russia:Alexander Ovechkin on his eldest sonAs soon as he could walk properly, he immediately grabbed a stick. We even have video of him at two years old flipping the puck on his stick blade - it goes up in the air and he catches it. Even adults can't always pull off 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 ran various pro-Putin campaigns, published content on social media, and participated in public events. However, over time, "Putin Team's" public activity declined.Today I want to announce the creation of a public movement called Putin Team. Being part of this team fills me with pride, just like wearing the Russian national team jersey, knowing the whole country supports you. I know there are many of us who support Vladimir Putin! So let's unite and show the world a strong, 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 that had stood for 31 years since March 1994.In a game against the New York Islanders, the Russian superstar scored his 895th goal, cementing his place in hockey history.
The Washington Capitals captain reached this incredible milestone in his 1,487th NHL game.
The historic goal capped Ovechkin's incredible 20-year NHL career, which began on October 5, 2005, when the 20-year-old scored his first two goals in his debut against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
At the celebration following this historic achievement, Alexander gave an emotional speech, ending with the words: "The whole world, Russians, we did it!"