30 Amazing Facts About Alexander Ovechkin You Might Have Missed Before

Alexander Ovechkin, widely regarded as the greatest goal scorer in NHL history, is famous for his deadly one-timer, which he typically fires from the left faceoff circle, an area known as his "office." His most enduring nickname is "Great 8." He won his first Stanley Cup, leading his team Washington Capitals to victory over the Vegas Golden Knights 4–3 in game 5 of the finals. This victory was the first in the Capitals 44-year franchise history. He is also the first Russian to captain a team to the Stanley Cup. He has won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL's leading goal scorer, an NHL-record nine times. He is the only player in NHL history to lead the league in goal-scoring 8 or more times. Here are some really interesting facts about the player that will make you love him more:

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1.  He signed a 13-year contract extension worth $124 million with the Washington Capitals on January 10, 2008, averaging $9.5 million per year. This was the richest in NHL history.
2.  In the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, he was selected first overall by the Washington Capitals, having been projected as the first overall pick for nearly two years, earning comparisons to Mario Lemieux.
3.  He was so highly regarded that the Florida Panthers attempted to draft him in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft in the ninth round, even though his birthday was two days after the cut-off – September 15, 1985.
4.  On February 1, 2006, he was named NHL Rookie of the Month for January 2006 as well as being named Offensive Player of the Month, becoming only the third player in NHL history to earn both honors simultaneously.
5.  He was named the captain of the Washington Capitals on January 5, 2010, making him the first European, second-youngest and 14th overall captain in team history.
6.  Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin was born on September 17, 1985 to Soviet athletes – Mikhail Ovechkin and Tatyana Ovechkina in Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union.
7.  His father Mikhail was a football player, while his mother Tatyana was a two-time Olympic gold medalist in basketball. He has two older brothers – Sergei and Mikhail.
8.  He first became interested in hockey at the age of two, when he first picked up his hockey stick. His mother claimed that whenever there was a hockey game being aired, he would drop whatever he was doing, and watch it intently, refusing his parents to change the channel.
9.  In early childhood, he moved with his family to a tall high-rise building surrounded by a "crumbling neighborhood" on the outskirts of Moscow.
10.  He attended public school #596, infamous for military discipline and a "tyrannical" principal, completing eight and a half grades before starting at Dynamo Moscow's sports school.

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11.  During his time at school, he used to attend daily training sessions morning and night, and has often claimed that he would have no time for anything else.
12.  When his parents were unable to take him to hockey events, his brother Sergei would make sure that Alex got to go to which ever event he wanted.
13.  Sergei died from a blood clot, following a car accident, when Alex was just 10 years old. It was Sergei who would encourage him to pursue hockey.
14.  Even today, whenever he scores, he would often kiss his glove and point to the sky, in a salute to his elder brother.
15.  At the young age of 11, in the Dynamo Moscow system, he made a name for himself, scoring 56 goals, breaking Pavel Bure's record of 53.
16.  He started playing for the Russian Super League (RSL) in Dynamo Moscow at the age of 16, making his professional debut in the 2001-02 season.
17.  Alex spent a total of three seasons with the RSL in Dynamo Moscow, before being drafted by the NHL. In 152 career games, he racked up 36 goals and 32 assists.
18.  Due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Ovechkin remained with Dynamo for one more season, recording 27 points in 37 games. He missed nearly two months of play, due to a shoulder injury.
19.  With the threat of the lockout canceling another NHL season, Ovechkin signed a contract with rival Russian team Avangard Omsk.
20.  On August 5, 2005, he decided to opt out of the contract with Omsk, and signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Capitals worth the rookie maximum of $984,200 per season with performance-based bonuses to inflate his annual salary to as much as $3.9 million.

"Alexander Ovechkin" by neilkod is licensed under CC BY 2.0

21.  He played his first game with the Capitals on October 5, 2005, scoring two goals against goalie Pascal Leclaire in a 3–2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
22.  On January 16, 2006, he scored a goal that veteran hockey reporter Bill Clement called "one of the greatest goals of all time." It became referred to as "The Goal."
23.  He scored his 59th and 60th goals of the season against the Atlanta Thrashers, on March 21, 2008, becoming the first NHL player to score 60 goals in a season since Mario Lemieux and Jaromír Jágr in 1995–96.
24.  With his 64th and 65th goal of the season, he went on to break Luc Robitaille's record for most goals by a left winger in one season on April 3, 2008.
25.  It was also the first time in 41 seasons that a left-winger led the NHL in points, with 112 points, since Bobby Hull led the league with 97 points in 1965–66.
26.  He was awarded the Lester B. Pearson Award, the Hart Memorial Trophy, the Art Ross and Rocket Richard trophies, becoming the first player in the history of the NHL to win all four major awards.
27.  Ovechkin won the 2009–10 Ted Lindsay Award, becoming only the second player in NHL history to win the award in three consecutive years.
28.  He scored his 400th career goal on December 20, 2013, becoming the sixth-fastest player to ever reach that mark, getting it in 634 games, one less than Pavel Bure.
29.  On October 7, 2017, he became the first player in 100 years with back-to-back hat-tricks to start the season. He also passed Bondra as the team's all-time leader in hat-tricks with his 20th of his career, on November 25, 2017.
30.  Ovechkin signed a five-year, $47.5 million contract extension with the Capitals on July 27, 2021. He scored his 275th power play goal, breaking Dave Andreychuk's all-time record, on December 31, 2021.
31.  Alexander Ovechkin Net Worth: $80 Million