This Day in Hockey History – September 17, 1985 – Birth of the Great Eight

Just six years before the fall of Communism in Russia, Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin was born on September 17, 1985 in Moscow. He comes by his athleticism naturally. His mother, Tatyana Nikolaevna (Kabayeva) Ovechkina, was an Olympic gold medalist in basketball. In addition to helping her team win two Olympic medals in 1976 and 1980, she also helped the U.S.S.R. team win the 1975 World Championship and six European Championships (1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978 1980). His father, Mikhail, was a soccer player.

Like so many hockey players, Ovechkin was hooked on hockey at an early age. He would complete eight and a half years of public school before moving on to the Dynamo Moscow’s sports school, the development program of the Russian Superleague’s Dynamo Moscow’s team.

Ovechkin was already breaking records at the age of 11, while still in the Dynamo Moscow’s development program, scoring 56 goals and surpassing the previous record of 53 goals set by Pavel Bure. He would continue with the Dynamo Moscow team, with whom he would begin playing professionally at the age of 16.

His international play began at the age of 16 when in 2003 he scored two hat tricks on the Russian junior national team’s road to the gold medal. He was then selected at the age of 17 by Viktor Tikhonov to play in the Česká Pojišt’ovna Cup, becoming the youngest player ever to play on the Russian national team. Throughout his many years representing Russia, he helped the U18 team to a silver medal in 2002 and a bronze in 2004; the junior team to a gold medal in 2003 and a silver in 2005; and the national team to three golds (2008, 2012, 2014); two silvers (2010, 2015), and four bronze medals (2005, 2007, 2016, 2019). He also represented Russia at the Olympics in 2006, 2010, and 2014. He would undoubtedly have been on the Russian team for the Olympics in 2018 if the NHL had not denied its players the opportunity to participate.

Ovechkin was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft first overall, though he would not get an opportunity to come to the United States and play for the Capitals until the 2005-06 season. This had nothing to do with his skill, and everything to do with the 2004-05 NHL lockout that canceled the entire season.

Since donning the Washington Capitals sweater, Ovechkin has only played professionally elsewhere during the season one time—returning to Dynamo Moscow during the half season lockout of the 2012-13 season. In just his second season with the Capitals he was named an assistant captain, and he has been wearing the C since the 2009-10 season.

Throughout his present 14 years with the Capitals, he has played in 1,084 regular season games amassing 658 goals, 553 assists for 1,211 points. He has also helped take his team to the post season 11 times, compiling a record of 65 goals, 61 assists for 126 points in 128 games. The Capitals won their first Stanley Cup in 2018 and Ovechkin had much to do with that accomplishment.

“Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin will be one of those athletes whose dominance will be recognized and appreciated far more post-retirement than it was during his heyday,” wrote Kevin Allen of USA Today in 2015. “The truth is that we are witnessing one of the most amazing players in NHL history, even if not all of us understand that yet.”

Allen’s article mentioned that Ovechkin’s play was often overshadowed by the Capital’s inability to succeed in the playoffs. Perhaps now that they have won a Stanley Cup people will begin to see the Great 8’s skill for what it is.

Additional Resources:

• Alex Ovechkin, Statistics, EliteProspects.com
• Kevin Allen, “Alex Ovechkin is simply one of the most amazing players in NHL history,” USA Today, November 11, 2015, online