Alex Ovechkin Bio And Facts
Alex Ovechkin
Alex Ovechkin is one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time. Born and raised in Moscow, Russia, many NHL coaches scouted Alex Ovechkin as a teenager. He was chosen as the number one draft pick in 2004 to the Washington Capitals and still plays for the same team currently.
With over 700 goals after playing in over 1050 games, he is known on and off of the ice for his speed, stick-handling abilities, and outgoing personality. After reaching the over 700 goal club before the age of 35, Ovie, as many like to call him, has a great chance of beating the National Hockey League’s record for the most number of goals scored in any player's career.
- Birthdate: September 17th, 1985 (17-09-1985)
- Education: Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, and Tourism
- Net Worth: $80 million
- Height: 6’3” (1.91 m)
- Weight: 236 lb (107.05 kg)
- Position: Left Wing
- Years Active: 2004 - Present
- Nicknames: Alex, Ovie, Alexander The Great
- Teams: Washington Capitals and The Russian Olympic Team
Ice Hockey Career
Ovechkin’s ice hockey career officially began when he was drafted into the National Hockey League by the Washington Capitals as the number one overall pick in 2004. Although he didn’t get to play in his first year in the NHL because of a league-wide lockout, he was able to go back to Russia and play for the Moscow Dynamo.
From then on, he played actively in the NHL for the Capitals. Fast forward almost 20 years later, and Ovechkin remains a valuable member of the Washington Capitals team and is now their captain. He has not only broken many scoring records for the league, but he has earned himself a variety of the most prestigious ice hockey awards, including the Calder Trophy and the Rocket Richard Trophy. Winning these titles once would be considered a great accomplishment for any player, but Alex has been honored with the titles of only the greatest players, and he has been awarded them on multiple-year counts.
In 2018, Alex finally accomplished what he had been working so hard for his whole professional career; he won the Stanley Cup.
More recently, and one of the greatest accomplishments of his career so far, was when at the age of 34 years old in February 2020, Ovie scored the 700th goal of his career against the New Jersey Devils.
Titles and Awards
After being drafted by the Capitals in 2004 and experiencing a league-wide lockdown, Ovie came into the league as an extremely strong and talented rookie. In 2006, he was awarded the Calder Trophy. He has won the Hart Trophy award three times. In the back-to-back years of 2008 and 2009, he earned the league's Most Valuable Player award. Alex has earned the Rocket Richard Trophy a record high number of eight different times and even the Ted Lindsay Award on three different occasions. To top all of that off, Ovechkin finally earned the most important trophy of them all in the National Hockey League, when he not only led his team to win the Stanley Cup in 2018 against the Vegas Golden Knights, but he also was one of the three-goal scorers. After this huge accomplishment, Ovie was fittingly awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy, proving that he was the 2018 NHL Playoffs’ most valuable player.
Personal Life
Alex Ovechkin was born and raised in Moscow, Russia. He was born into an extremely athletic family. His mom was an Olympic gold medalist basketball player, and his father was a national soccer player, both famous Soviet-era athletes. His two parents, Tatyana and Mikhail Ovechkin, raised Alex and his older brother. Despite the many hardships and distractions that Alex faced growing up, he turned to hockey to guide him on a better path. Whether it be from attending a very strict school as a child, his brother’s death in a car accident, or many of his close friends being addicted to drugs around him, Ovechkin didn’t let anything stop him from his dream of playing in the National Hockey League.
Ovie did not care where he was drafted; all he wanted was to play in the best hockey league there is, and his dream finally came true in 2004 when the Washington Capitals drafted him as the number one overall pick.
Today, Alex lives with his wife, Anastasia Shubskaya, and they have a son named Sergei Ovechkin.
Fun Facts
- Alex Ovechkin has been put on the cover of not one but two National Hockey League video games. These two games are NHL 2k10 and EA Sports NHL 07.
- Alex scored over 700 goals before he reached the age of 34.
- Alex has the most points for an NHL rookie who was born in Russia in all of history.
- Alex Ovechkin is the captain of the Washington Capitals hockey team, and he became the first European player to be named captain in franchise history.
FAQ
Where does Alex Ovechkin live now?
Alex Ovechkin currently lives in McLean, Virginia. The main reason he lives close to the city of Washington is that he plays for the Washington Capitals, the National Hockey League team that is located there. Although Ovechkin has to travel all of the time because of his profession, when he is not traveling, he lives at home with his wife and their son. In addition, Ovie travels a lot because he has had the honor of playing on the Russian ice hockey team in international competitions.
What position does Alex Ovechkin play?
Alex Ovechkin plays the left wing position. He plays this position for the Washington Capitals team as well as the Russian team. In ice hockey, the left wing position is a forward position, and they are designated on the left side of the ice for the majority of their time playing. Although Ovie plays most of the game on the left side, he is actually a right-handed player, and therefore he shoots the puck on his right side.
Does Alex Ovechkin still play hockey?
Yes, Alex Ovechkin still plays hockey. Due to the Covid-19 virus, the NHL delayed the 2019-2020 season and began the playoffs in two specially isolated locations in Canada. Alex Ovechkin was given the honor of being named the head captain of the Washington Capitals team that he plays the majority of his time on.
Is Alex Ovechkin from the United States?
No, Alex Ovechkin is not from the United States. Alex was born in Moscow, Russia, and lived there for the majority of his life until he got drafted into the National Hockey League to play for the Washington Capitals. Ovechkin still plays for the Russian team whenever he competes in the Winter Olympics and is constantly traveling between the two countries.