The Great 8: Alex Ovechkin’s Journey Towards Capturing NHL History
By Maria Josef
Alex Ovechkin is not a hockey player by profession. One imagines the worst outcome when the name is mentioned among the all-time greats in NHL history. But once, there was a time when his path could have ended before it had even begun.
His parents are excellent athletes. His mother was a basketball champion, and his father, a soccer player, spent most of their time travelling with the little Alex left with no one to drive him for practices. Vyacheslav Kirillov was the one who made Ovechkin stay in this game, while his mother finally yielded, and the hockey world did not know it was witnessing the birth of a future legend.
Born to Compete
From childhood, Ovechkin was consumed by the idea of taking over the ice hockey domain. He played way too aggressively for his age. When he was -12, they needed three goals for him to equal Pavel Bure’s milestone, which he did so in style by scoring six.
Victory, however, came at a price. While still a teenager, he was accused of favoritism when he saw himself getting first-line action with Dynamo Moscow, where his parents worked. His mother could not tolerate this type of treatment. She ordered the coach to send him down by tabulating what everyone was saying. Ovechkin reacted by doing what he knew best- making the fourth line the most robust on the team.
His talents were unquestionable, and his determination was something else entirely. By the age of 17, he was dominating international competition and was considered by many the best NHL prospect. The Washington Capitals called his name first overall in the 2004 NHL Draft, and the league’s next superstar was born.
Alexandra’s debut was delayed by the lockout of 2004-05, but on the very first game day, he made an impression without delay. His very first shift saw him deliver such an incredible hit that the plexiglass nearly shattered. Sometime in between, he found the net for his first goal in the NHL. And another one.
At the end of his rookie year, he finished with 52 goals, which would earn him the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year. Power, speed, unstoppable shot; he had it all. But he wasn’t only a sniper; he was a force of nature.
Ovechkin’s career kept extending, and his stats just kept pouring in. He led the league in goals several times, won the Hart three times, and was the face of the Capitals. However, at the end of it all, the one thing that eluded him was a Stanley Cup.
The Road from Stardom to Championship
For over a decade, playoff disappointments loomed over Ovechkin and the Capitals. So the narrative kept resurfacing: would he ever win the big one?
Then 2018 changed everything. With Ovechkin guiding the way, Washington lifted its very first Stanley Cup in history, with an unquenchable thirst for success. The way he played was electric; he earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP. But it was his partying-wild celebrations that turned him into a larger-than-life figure.
From swimming in the fountains to raising the Cup at every opportunity, Ovechkin exhibited his revelries to an almost contagious degree. “He just didn’t want to let it go,” reflecting, said longtime teammate Nicklas Backstrom.
More Than a Hockey PlayerOvechkin’s life away from the ice has also changed. He married Nastya Shubskaya in 2016, and the family welcomed their two sons, Sergei and Ilya, soon after. His kids have also been present for life’s biggest moments for him, including when he surpassed Gordie Howe to become second on the all-time goals list.
At that moment, he walked into the locker room with Ilya and Sergei holding hands for the photo-op, which felt bigger than hockey. “Family changes everything,” Ovechkin said. “It’s like you enjoy every minute more.”Chasing Gretzky’s Record. At age 39, Ovechkin is trailing history toward history.
Each goal brings him closer to Wayne Gretzky’s 894, as Ovechkin has made the seemingly unreachable, reachable. Former and current teammates have been in awe of his consistency. “He’s just always been the same,” Backstrom said. “He hasn’t changed since the first time I met him.”
As the hockey universe holds its collective breath as he nears the all-time mark in goals scored, one can be sure: Ovechkin’s is more than just a goal-scored story. It’s about perseverance, it’s about ego, and most of all, it’s about never-ending passion for the game.
And on the day when he finally supplants Gretzky at the top of that list, that day will see one for-the-record-books-type party—because that’s exactly who Ovi is.
