Documentary film about Ovechkin
Despite the temporary suspension of sporting events around the world due to the coronavirus pandemic, Alexander Ovechkin remains in the spotlight. In this he is helped by the National Hockey League (NHL), on the official website of which the premiere of a documentary about the leader of Washington was held. In a ten-minute video, they tried to explain the phenomenon of Alexander the Great and figure out why he is a unique athlete.
In particular, it was noted that Ovechkin’s arrival in the overseas league coincided with the return of Russian hockey to its former positions and forced the NHL clubs to take a fresh look at domestic athletes.
“In the USA, they are not used to perceiving Russian players as bright individuals. Here comes Ovechkin, who absolutely madly celebrates his goals ... In this, he overshadowed many North Americans, ”says Pavel Strizhevsky, observer of the NHL website.
The video also emphasizes that Ovechkin is a unique athlete with a recognizable, unique style of play. So, the Russian can now be considered a symbol of a touch-throw from the left face-off circle. Before him, many colleagues differed in this manner, but it was Alexander who made this a kind of trademark. The filigree execution of this technical technique helped him to throw 706 goals in his career and, at 34, enter the top 8 best snipers in NHL history.
Another key to Ovechkin’s success is incredible charisma. Thanks to her, the forward became not just a skilled player, but a real NHL star. In 2020, he is one of the most famous athletes on the planet.
Is Ovechkin the face of the NHL? In my opinion, there is no doubt about it. Despite the fact that there have recently appeared a lot of new, young stars, the most recognizable hockey player in the world is still Alexander. When the Capitals played in Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant found time to go down to the tribune room and shake the Russians hand. If Lionel Messi is in the city, then he goes to the Washington’s locker room and meets with Ovechkin there, ”the film says.
In addition, the film cited the words of the owner of Washington. According to him, after Ovechkin’s arrival in the capital, the number of children involved in hockey grew by 30%.
“This is a gigantic indicator. The appearance of Ovechkin is comparable with the arrival of Gretzky in Los Angeles and Lemieux in Pittsburgh, the authors of the tape note.
Conversation Ovechkin with Gretzky
Meanwhile, Alexander himself talked to the NHL legend and record holder in the number of goals, assists and points, Wayne Gretzky. During the pandemic, the press service of the league began to actively organize video conferences between hockey players, and the conversation between the Russian and the Canadian became one of the most anticipated. At least because at the moment Ovechkin remains the only player who is able to take away one of his achievements from Gretzky. To surpass the 99th number in the list of snipers, he needs to throw another 189 goals.
So far, the full version of Ovechkin’s conversations with Gretzky has not been published, but several fragments of it have already appeared on the network. So, it was expected that the question was about the Russian pursuit of the record, and the Canadian expressed his hope that he would be able to surpass his result by 894 goals in the regular NHL championships.
“I have no doubt that he has a great chance to do it. I think that for hockey it will be great. This will be great for Washington and the Capitals, for Alex and his family. I root for him like no other, ”admitted Gretzky.
Ovechkin himself admitted that it was a great honor for him to communicate with Gretzky and said that he always expressed his support. In addition, he said that he recently received a legendary Canadian game stick as a present.
“Obviously, everyone knows that I collect clubs. Now I have about 100 of them. After a joint dinner (in 2017), I asked Wayne: “You can give me one of the clubs that you used in matches. I don’t know if you still have those. ” And he answered: “Yes. Win the Stanley Cup, and I will give you one, ”RMNB quotes Ovechkin.
It is not known whether this served as an additional motivation for the Russian, but a year later he won the Stanley Cup for the first time in his career. But even after that he had to wait almost two years before receiving a present from the former stars of Edmonton and Los Angeles.
“We took the Cup, and I told (a member of the Washington public relations team) Sergey that I needed Wayne's stick because he promised me. Finally, I received it and was happy as a little child who was presented with a Christmas present. Now she is in my collection, ”the Russian said.
Ovechkin brought the club to the training of “Washington” and noted that it is much harder than those that hockey players play today.
“When you hold it in your hands - and all the guys also felt it - you understand how hockey equipment is changing now. How much our clubs are lighter than those that Wayne played in the 80s and 90s. This is unbelievable. If I use it, I’m unlikely to be able to throw as much as I do now, ”concluded Ovechkin.
However, on April 23, Alexander and Wayne will meet again on the network. This time the legendary athletes will play each other in the computer simulator NHL 20. The broadcast will take place on the official Washington channel in Twitch, and the triumph will be determined in a series of up to two victories. In this case, during the meeting, viewers will be able to make donations that will be aimed at combating coronavirus.
Watching hockey with my son and participating in charity events
In addition, during quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic, Ovechkin expressed a desire to review the final series of the Stanley Cup 2018, a victory in which was one of the most important moments in Ovechkin’s career and helped him to finally reserve a place among the greatest hockey players. At the same time, Alexander decided to relive those pleasant moments not alone, but along with his son Sergei, who was born two months after the triumph of the Capitals.
Recall, then, “Washington” dealt with the debutant of the league “Vegas” in five matches. Moreover, for the “capital” the final series began unsuccessfully. Their opponents had the advantage of their site in the first meeting and confidently took advantage of them, gaining the score 6-4, but the Capitals seized the initiative and won four meetings in a row. At the same time, Alexander himself chalked up three goals and two assists and received a prize for the most valuable player in the playoffs (Conn Smythe Trophy).
Ovechkin has time to do charity work. Together with teammate Ilya Kovalchuk, he participated in raising funds for Ilya Rozhkovsky from Stavropol. The boy was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, and about 150 million rubles are required for treatment. Athletes auctioned items and helped raise the required amount.
In addition, the Capitals themselves distinguished themselves. So, the club sent 700 packs of cereals, whose advertising person is Ovechkin, to the Washington Food Bank, where needy families can get food for free.
Showing #OviJr that time when dad won the Stanley Cup ...
Watch along with the Ovechkins now on @NBCSWashington! pic.twitter.com/eMAjoPY8ph