Alex Ovechkin
The Great 8: NHL's all-time leading goal scorer
Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin (Russian: Алексaндр Михайлович Овечкин, romanized: Aleksandr Mikhaylovich Ovechkin, pronounced [ɐlʲɪˈksandr ɐˈvʲetɕkʲɪn]; born 17 September 1985) is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "the Great 8" (in reference to his jersey number) and "Ovi", as well as "Alexander the Great" (Russian: Александр Великий) by Russian media, Ovechkin has scored the most career goals in NHL regular season history, and is the only player in NHL history to have scored 900 regular season goals.
Quick Facts
- Character
- Elite Left Wing; Captain
- Affiliation
- Washington Capitals (NHL)
- First appears
- 2005–06 NHL Season
- Status
- Active Legend
- Key achievement
- Stanley Cup Champion (2018)
- Notable record
- Most goals by a left-handed shooter in NHL history (among active players)
Lore & Background
Ovechkin began his professional career with Dynamo Moscow of the Russian Superleague in 2001, playing there for four seasons. Ovechkin was selected by the Capitals first overall in the 2004 NHL entry draft. In the 2005–06 season, Ovechkin captured the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year and finished third overall in league scoring. He has won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the NHL's leading goal scorer a record nine times and been runner-up once.
He holds the NHL record for most 40-goal seasons with fourteen, and shares with Mike Bossy and Wayne Gretzky the record for most 50-goal campaigns with nine. He is the only player to have tallied 200 or more goals in three different decades, with 245 in the 2000s, 437 in the 2010s, and 247 in the 2020s. He also holds multiple other NHL records, including the most power play goals, most goals in away games, most overtime goals, most game-winning goals, most individual goalies scored upon, and most goals with one team.
He has won the Hart Memorial Trophy for most valuable player three times (in 2008, 2009, and 2013) while also being a finalist two other times (2010 and 2015), and the award for best player as voted on by the National Hockey League Players' Association three times (2008, 2009, and 2010) while also being a finalist two other times (2013 and 2015). In 2018, the Capitals won the Stanley Cup for the first time, and Ovechkin was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for most valuable player in the 2018 playoffs.
He has also been named to the NHL first All-Star team eight times, and the second All-Star team four times. In 2017, Ovechkin was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players of all time. Internationally, Ovechkin has represented Russia in multiple tournaments. His first IIHF tournament was the 2002 World U18 Championship.
The following year he made his debut at the World Junior Championship, helping Russia win the gold medal. He played two more years at the World Juniors, as well as once more at the World U18 Championships. Ovechkin's first senior tournament was the 2004 World Championship, and he also played in the World Cup that year. Ovechkin has also played for Russia at the Winter Olympics in 2006, 2010, and 2014.
Overall, Ovechkin has represented Russia at thirteen World Championships and three Olympics in his career, winning the World Championship three times.
Reader's Guide
Ovechkin was born on 17 September 1985 in Moscow, the son of Soviet athletes. His mother, Tatyana Ovechkina, is a two-time Olympic gold medalist (1976, 1980) and world champion (1975) in basketball. His father, Mikhail, was a soccer player. His favorite NHL team growing up was the San Jose Sharks and also was the first NHL jersey he received.
He was two years old when he first picked up a hockey stick. In early childhood, he moved with his family to a high-rise building surrounded by a "crumbling neighborhood" on the outskirts of Moscow. There he attended public school No. 596, completing eight and a half grades before starting at Dynamo Moscow's sports school. Whenever his parents were no longer able to get young Alex to hockey events, his elder brother Sergei stepped up.
When Ovechkin was 10, Sergei died of a blood clot following a car accident. Ovechkin credits his elder brother Sergei for introducing him to hockey and encouraging him to pursue it. When he scores, Ovechkin will often kiss his glove and point to the sky in a salute to his brother. Ovechkin established his reputation within the Dynamo Moscow system by scoring 56 goals at the age of 11, surpassing the previous record held by Pavel Bure, who had scored 53 goals.
Ovechkin dreamed of playing in the NHL, keeping the cards of star players stashed in his room, especially those of his idol, Mario Lemieux. Ovechkin began playing in the Russian Super League (RSL) for Dynamo Moscow at the age of 16. Making his professional debut in the 2001–02 season, he scored four points in 21 games. He would spend three seasons there prior to being drafted into the NHL, and he would rack up 36 goals and 32 assists in 152 career games.
The following off-season, Ovechkin was selected first overall in the 2004 NHL entry draft by the Washington Capitals. Due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Ovechkin remained with Dynamo for one more season. In the playoffs, he helped Dynamo win the RSL title. With the threat of the lockout canceling another NHL season, Ovechkin signed a contract with rival Russian team Avangard Omsk.
To maintain his eligibility for the NHL in the event that the lockout ended, the contract contained an out clause with a 20 July 2005 deadline.
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