Alexander Ovechkin has been incredible for hockey.
The next generation of NHL players grew up watching him and the booming one-timer from the left circle that became his signature.
His rivalry with Sidney Crosby that began in 2005 breathed new life into the sport. Ovechkin alone created a participation boom in hockey in the greater Washington, D.C., area.
While The Great One can only be Wayne Gretzky, Ovechkin has become The Great 8 — based on the number on his jersey.
Ovechkin was selected first overall by the Washington Capitals in the 2004 draft. The 2004-05 season was cancelled due to a league lockout with the NHL Players Association, but once play resumed in 2005, Ovechkin got off to a red-hot start with 52 goals and 106 points as a 20-year-old. That performance earned him the Calder Trophy over Crosby, who debuted with the Pittsburgh Penguins, kickstarting a race to become the next best hockey player.
Ovechkin has barely slowed down since. Even in his worst full season in 2012-13, he still racked up 32 goals. He’s hit the 50-goal mark nine times in his career, including a 65-goal campaign in 2007-08.
The awards keep piling up around him, too — three Hart Trophies,three Ted Lindsay Awards for most valuable player, an Art Ross Trophy for most points of the year in the NHL, nine “Rocket” Richard Trophies for highest goal total, the Calder and the Conn Smythe for most valuable playoff player when he finally hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2018.
The Great 8 broke Gretzky’s all-time goal record with his 895th April 6, 2025.
Ovechkin’s legacy is etched into the history of hockey, but it’s not without complications.
Being Russian doesn’t inherently mean someone supports Vladimir Putin, but Ovechkin has the Russian leader in his Instagram profile picture.
Russia has always been a touchy subject in the sport. It’s a reflection of the broader context of the country’s position in global politics, and it has a specific point of tension in hockey because of Russia’s presence in the sport.
The Summit Series in 1972 saw Team Canada take down the team from the Soviet Union, and it’s still considered one of the biggest moments in the history of hockey. The series represented more than just an international face-off, but an ideological triumph, too — democracy was victorious over authoritarian communism.
The United States’ “Miracle on Ice” only added to the narrative.
In the 1980 Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York, Team USA put together a scrappy group of college kids that had never played together to win gold over a fearsome, experienced Soviet Union team.
“Miracle,” the 2004 movie directed by Gavin O’Connor, has become a beloved fixture in American hockey culture.
The International Ice Hockey Federation, the world governing body that oversees international hockey competition including the Olympics, has followed the lead of the International Olympic Committee’s ban on Russian teams competing in its tournaments.
Russians make up around 7% of the NHL, but the ones who make the move to North America usually have a big impact. Igor Shesterkin on the New York Rangers, Lightning star Nikita Kucherov in Tampa Bay and the Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin have all made a lasting impression on hockey.
Current Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov, a native of Moscow, alongside Rangers offensive star Artemi Panarin, have publicly spoken out against Putin. The majority of the Russians in the league choose to remain quiet.
Ovechkin, though his career has reached its absolute peak in North America, has been explicit in his support for Putin. He started #PutinTeam on social media before the last Russian election and claims Putin as his president.
Sports and politics are intrinsically linked, despite cries to keep them separate. Sports are a permanent fixture in culture across the world.
Ovechkin has his name written in the history books, but his record has a few blemishes that require just as much attention as the praise he deserves.
