Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin (p. 2018 Stanley Cup winner, 3-time world champion (2008, 2012, 2014). Is on the list of the 100 greatest hockey players in the entire history of the NHL. The record holder for the number of goals in his career among the current NHL hockey players.
There are many interesting facts in Ovechkin's biography, which we will discuss in this article.
So, before you is a short biography of Alexander Ovechkin.
Biography of Ovechkin
Alexander Ovechkin was born on September 17, 1985 in Moscow. He grew up and was brought up in a family of athletes.
His father, Mikhail Ovechkin, was a football player for Dynamo Moscow. Mother, Tatyana Ovechkina, was a famous basketball player who played for the Soviet national team.
In addition to Alexander, his parents had 2 more sons.
Childhood and youth
Ovechkin began to show interest in hockey at an early age. He began attending the hockey section at the age of 8, where his older brother Sergei brought him.
It is worth noting that the mother and father did not want their son to go to training, because they considered this sport to be too traumatic.
Soon the boy was forced to leave hockey, because his parents had no time to take him to the rink. One of the mentors of the children's team persuaded Alexander to return to the section.
The coach saw talent in Ovechkin and since that time, the future NHL star has regularly attended training.
The first tragedy in the biography of Alexander Ovechkin occurred at the age of 10. His brother Sergei, who at that time was only 25 years old, died in a car accident.
Alexander very hard suffered the death of his brother. Even today, the hockey player refuses to discuss this topic during an interview or with close friends.
Later, coaches from the hockey school of the capital "Dynamo" drew attention to Ovechkin. As a result, he started playing for this club, showing great performance.
When Alexander was 12 years old, he broke Pavel Bure's record, having managed to score 59 goals in the Moscow championship. After 3 years, the young man began to play for the main team.
Soon Ovechkin was invited to the Russian national team. In the very first match, he managed to score the puck and become not only the youngest player in the history of the national team, but also the youngest goal-scorer.
After that, Alexander entrenched himself in the main team, continuing to throw goals and give assists to partners. An interesting fact is that 13 goals in the 2003/2004 season brought him the title of the club's best scorer in history.
In 2008, Ovechkin graduated from the Russian University of Physical Culture, Sports, Youth and Tourism.
Hockey
Alexander Ovechkin showed a fantastic game, rarely leaving the rink without a hammered puck. Even in his youth, he was recognized as the best left-handed striker.
Every year the guy progressed more and more, attracting the attention of American coaches.
In 2004, Ovechkin was signed by the NHL Washington Capitals, for which he continues to play to this day. It is worth noting that even before moving abroad, the athlete received an offer from the Omsk Avangard.
The management of the Omsk club was ready to pay Alexander $ 1.8 million a year.
Due to the fact that Ovechkin left Dynamo, a scandal arose. The case went to court, as Muscovites wanted to receive monetary compensation for the transition of the hockey player. However, the conflict was still managed peacefully.
In America, Alexander's salary was more than $ 3.8 million. His debut for the new club took place in the fall of 2005 in a match with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Russian team won, and Ovechkin himself was able to issue a double. It is curious that he played under number 8, as his mother once played under this number.
The following year, Ovechkin received the nickname - Alexander the Great. This is not surprising, since in the first season he had 44 assists and 48 goals. Later he will have 2 more nicknames - Ovi and the Great Eight.
Alexander showed such a fantastic game that the management of the Washington Capitals signed a 13-year contract with him for $ 124 million! Such a contract has not yet been offered to any hockey player.
During that period of his biography, Alexander Ovechkin also played for the Russian national team, being considered its leader. As a result, together with the team, he became the world champion 3 times (2008, 2012, 2014).
In 2008, Ovechkin won the Hart Trophy, an award given annually to the hockey player who has made the greatest contribution to his team's success in the NHL regular season.
After that, the Russian received this award in 2009 and 2013. As a result, he was the eighth player in NHL history to win the Hart Trophy 3 or more times.
As of today, Ovechkin is the highest paid Russian hockey player. It is worth noting that his salary consists not only of sports, but also of advertising.
Over the years of his sports biography, Alexander participated in many fights. At the same time, he was both a victim and an initiator of fights.
In 2017, in a match against the Columbus team, Ovechkin played roughly against Zach Warenski, as a result of which he received a severe facial injury and was forced to leave the rink.
This incident led to a massive brawl on the ice, in which athletes from both teams took part. During the scuffle, "Alexander the Great" smashed the face of the Columbus striker, for which he was later disqualified.
It is known that Alexander Ovechkin does not have one front tooth. According to him, he is not going to insert it until he retires from hockey, because he is afraid to be left without a tooth again.
However, fans of Ovechkin believe that he does this on purpose. Thus, he allegedly wants to stand out, having his "chip".
During his career, Alexander won the President's Cup three times, became the owner of the Prince of Wales Prize and Stanley Cup, was repeatedly recognized as the best hockey player in various tournaments, and also repeatedly won prizes together with the Olympic team.
Personal life
Journalists have always shown a keen interest in the personal life of Alexander Ovechkin. He was married to Zhanna Friske, Victoria Lopyreva, the vocalist of the Black Eyed Peas group Fergie and other celebrities.
An interesting fact is that in one of the interviews, the athlete publicly stated that he would marry only a Russian woman.
In 2011, Ovechkin began courting Russian tennis player Maria Kirilenko. It was going to the wedding, but at the last moment the girl changed her mind about getting married.
After this, the model Anastasia Shubskaya, the daughter of actress Vera Glagoleva, became the new lover of the hockey player. The young people started dating in 2015 and soon decided to get married.
Later, the couple had a boy Sergei. It is curious that the father decided to name his son so in honor of his deceased older brother.
Ovechkin is fond of collecting golf clubs autographed by famous hockey players. He is also interested in cars, as a result of which he has many expensive car brands.
Alexander is involved in charity work. In particular, he transfers funds to several orphanages in Russia.
Alexander Ovechkin today
Today Alexander is still one of the most popular and productive hockey players of our time.
In 2018, the athlete, along with the team, won the first Stanley Cup in the history of Washington. In the same year, he won the Conn Smythe Trophy, a prize awarded annually to the best-performing hockey player in the NHL playoffs.
In 2019, Ovechkin won the Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy for the 8th time, given to the NHL's best forward every season.
Alexander has his own account on Instagram, where he uploads photos and videos. By 2020, more than 1.5 million people have subscribed to his page.
Ovechkin Photos
