Alexander+Ovechkin


 * Alexander Mikailovich Ovechkin **

Alexander Mikailovich Ovechkin, the son of Tatiana and Michael Ovechkin was born on September 17, 1985 in Moscow, Russia. Ovechkin’s hockey future became clear when he was a child. In a toy store, at the age of two, Alex grabbed a toy hockey stick and helmet and refused to let go. As a young child, Alexander would through aside all his toys and run to the TV if there was a hockey game on. He would protest strongly when his parents would try to change the channel. Tatiana and Michael Ovechkin knew there sin would become an athlete when he ran up the stairs, instead of taking the elevator. Alex started playing hockey at the age of seven but a couple months after Alex had to quit hockey because his parents couldn’t get him the rink. One of Alex’s coaches saw Alex’s talent and communicated to his parents that he should continue to play hockey. Sergei, Alex’s brother now deceased from car accident, saw that Alex loved the game, convinced his parents to allow him to continue playing.
 * __ Early Life Of Alexander Ovechkin __**

Due to the NHL lockout, Alexander Ovechkin had to play another season for Dynamo Moscow. At the age of 17, Ovechkin helped lead the Junior National Team to the Gold medal with two hat tricks, one against Switzerland and one against USA, and an assist. Also at the age of 17, when he was selected by Russian coach Victor Tikhonov to play in the Ceska Poistovna Eurotour tournament, Alexander became the youngest skater ever to play for the Russian National Team in the history of Russian hockey. The only other player to play for the National Team at that age was goaltender Vladislav Tretiak. In that tournament he also became the youngest player ever to score for the National Team. He finished the tournament with 1 goal and 2 assists in 3 games. At the age of 19, Ovechkin was named to the Russian National Team for the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. He was the youngest player in the tournament, and he finished with a goal and an assist in 6 games playing against established NHL stars. This year, at the age of 19, Alexander Ovechkin was named Captain of the Junior National Team in the 2005 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. This year’s tournament was Ovechkin’s third and last. At the end of the tournament he had collected 7 goals and 4 assists. His team received the silver medal after losing the gold medal game to Canada on January 4, and Ovechkin was named the Best Forward of the tournament as well as selected to the tournament All-Star Team. Ovechkin was the first overall selection in the draft of 2004 /05. Because of the lockout he began play in the 2005/06, in which he won the Calder Memorial Trophy for Rookie of the Year. During the 2007/08, he led the NHL with 65 goals and 112 points to won the Rocket Richard and Art Ross Trophie. That season he also won the Lester B. Pearson Award as the top player voted by the NHL Players' Association and the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's MVP. In 2009, he again won the Hart, Pearson, and Richard awards. He is the only player to win all four awards since the Rocket Richard Trophy's inception in 1999. Playing in the final season of his rookie contract, in 2007/08, Ovechkin signed a 13-year contract extension worth $124 million with the Capitals on January 10, 2008. The contract, which averages $9.5 million per year, is the richest in NHL history. On March 19, he scored his 50th goal of the season, becoming the first Washington Capitals player to reach the 50-goal mark three times. Best Forward of the tournament as well as selected to the tournament All-Star Team. Ovechkin was the first overall selection in the 2004 Draft Entry. During the 2007/08 season, he led the NHL with 65 goals and 112 points to get The Rocket Richard and Art Ross Trophie. That season he also won the Lester B. Pearson Award as the top player voted by the NHL Players' Association and the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's MVP. In 2009, he again won the Hart, Pearson, and Richard awards. He is the only player to win all four awards since the Rocket Richard Trophy's inception in 1999. Playing in the final season of his rookie contract, in 2007/08, Ovechkin signed a 13-year contract extension worth $124 million with the Capitals on January 10, 2008. The contract, which averages $9.5 million per year, is the richest in NHL history. On March 19, he scored his 50th goal of the season, becoming the first Washington Capitals player to reach the 50-goal mark three times. Alexander Ovechkin continues to be a very exciting player to watch and one of the most skilled to play the game.
 * __ Alexander Ovechkin’s Hockey Career __**

Some Videos of Ovechkin: media type="youtube" key="hngzmauPeHc" height="344" width="425"media type="youtube" key="2Ly33ACanBc" height="344" width="425" media type="youtube" key="8Z8B2NT09RA" height="344" width="425"