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Alexander Michaelovich Ovechkin (born September 17,1985 in Moscow) is a Russian hockey forward drafted first overall by the National Hockey League's Washington Capitals in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, the second Russian to be drafted first overall in NHL history (Ilya Kovalchuk was the first). He previously played for Dynamo Moscow in the Russian Superleague.
Due to the NHL lockout, Alexander Ovechkin is currently playing his fourth season for Dynamo Moscow. He has on numerous occaisions expressed his desire to play in the NHL, but there is still some doubt about his contract status with Dynamo Moscow. Since the deal between the NHL (National Hockey League), the NHLPA (National Hockey League Players' Assiciation) and the IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation) is expired, NHL clubs must negotiate transfer fees--compensation paid to those teams from which the NHL teams get their players--individually with European teams. Because of the fact that there are no rules, European teams can theoretically demand any price for their players. Dynamo Moscow has so far demanded up to $3 million dollars for Ovechkin, and it remains to be seen how soon the Washington Capitals will be able to bring him to North America even after the new CBA is signed.
Alexander Ovechkin for the National Team
At the age of 16, Alexander Ovechkin surpassed the scoring record set by countryman in the World Under-18 Junior Championships.
At the age of 17, Ovechkin helped lead the Junior National Team to the Gold medal with two hattricks, one against Switzerland and one against USA.
At the age of 17, Alexander Ovechkin became the youngest skater ever to play for the Russian National Team. The only other player to play for the National Team at that age was legendary goaltender Vladislav Tretiak.
At the age of 18, Ovechkin was named Captain of the Junior Russian National Team although he was a year younger than many of the other players on the team.
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.
Ovechkin is expected to lead the Junior National Team this December-January in the 2005 World Junior Championships. This will be his last World Juniors performance.
Alexander Ovechkin for Dynamo Moscow
Ovechkin began playing in the Dynamo Moscow system from the very start. In Russia, unlike in North America, hockey teams build players in their systems from childhood. Of course since the fall of the Soviet Union the players always have the option of which team they play for, but teams encourage players to stay in the system and hope that some of those players will eventually reach the Russian Superleague, the best hockey league in Russia and, according to some, the second best league in the world after the NHL.
Over the years Ovechkin has worked his way up the Dynamo system and at the age of 16 he made his debut for Dynamo Moscow in the Russian Superleague in the 2001-2002 season. He scored 2 goals and 2 assists in 21 games.
The next year, in the 2002-2003 Superleague season, he scored 8 goals 7 assists in 40 games.
Last year, at the age of 18 the 2003-2004 season, he scored 13 goals 10 assists in 53 games. He won the award for Best Left Wing in the Superleague and was the youngest player in the history of Dynamo Moscow to lead the team in scoring.
So far this year, as of December 12, 2004, the young forward has 10 goals 12 assists in 31 games.