The 2022/23 NHL season is starting to reach its apex, and the league’s finest teams are making their presence felt. The Boston Bruins are currently the standout team in the league. They have a stellar record of 32 wins and just four losses so far this term, and they are hoping to stamp their authority on the post-season playoffs for the first time since they reached the Stanley Cup finals in 2019.
They, of course, were beaten by the St. Louis Blues, who lifted the famous giant trophy for the first time in franchise history. The year prior, it was the Washington Capitals who went on to success. They defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in five games to clinch the championship series, but in the years since, all they have known is postseason heartache.
Unbelievably, the Capitals haven’t won a playoff game since that famous success back in 2018. They have exited the postseason in the first round in each of the last four seasons. But this season, they look set to return to former glories.
The Capital One Arena outfit is currently in third place in the Metropolitan Divison with 23 victories in their first 43 games so far this term. Admittedly they are still outsiders when it comes to Stanley Cup glory. Sportsbook Bovada, which provides online betting and offers, have made the table-topping Bruins the favorites to lift the trophy this season.
But when you have a superstar such as Alexander Ovechkin on your team, anything is possible. The Russian is one of the most iconic and successful sports figures of the modern era. A gifted hockey player who has earned the respect of fans across the world, Ovechkin has excelled as a leader on the ice, as well as off it.
His career achievements, net worth, and longevity as a professional hockey player are among the most impressive of all time.
The early years
Alex Ovechkin was born on September 17, 1985, in Moscow, Russia. His parents, Mikhail and Tatyana, both played professional basketball in the Soviet Union and were highly influential in his early development as an athlete.
He began playing hockey at the age of 8, and by the age of 15, he was already one of the top prospects in the Russian hockey system. In 2001, Ovechkin was drafted first overall by the Washington Capitals in the NHL and became a key factor in the team’s success over the next 15 years.
In the five years following his drafting, the Capitals reached the postseason playoffs just once. But since the 2007/08 campaign, they have missed out on the playoffs only once. The crowning moment obviously was their success in 2018, with ‘Ovie’ captaining his side to a first and only Stanley Cup trophy in franchise history.
And if captaining his side to glory wasn’t enough, Ovechkin was awarded the series’ MVP award courtesy of a number of stellar performances.
NHL success
Throughout his NHL career, Ovechkin has achieved incredible success on the ice. He is one of the most decorated players in the history of the league, having won three Hart Memorial Trophies (MVP), three Ted Lindsay Awards (Most Outstanding Player), and two Art Ross Trophies (most points scored in a season). He is the only player in NHL history to have scored 50+ goals in eight seasons and has won six Maurice Richard Trophies, given annually to the player with the most goals scored in the regular season.
Ovechkin holds the record for most goals and points by a Russian-born player and is currently ranked sixth all-time in goals and seventh all-time in points, among NHL players.
Off the ice
Off the ice, Ovechkin is just as impressive. He has earned numerous awards and accolades, including the Order of Friendship of the Russian Federation in 2020, and the Order of Honour in 2018. He was also an official ambassador of the 2018 FIFA World Cup – which was hosted in his homeland – and his hockey camps, the Ovi Hockey School, have introduced countless youth in the Washington, D.C. area to the game of hockey.
In terms of his finances, Ovechkin has an estimated net worth of $ 130 million, making him one of the richest athletes in the world. His current salary is $ 10 million per year, and his 13-year contract with the Washington Capitals is worth an estimated $ 124 million.
Without a doubt, Alex Ovechkin is one of the greatest sports figures in history. His dominance on the ice, advocacy off it, and overall impact on the NHL are unmatched. Ovechkin’s future in the league is certain to be nothing but successful, as he continues to cement his legacy as one of the greatest players of all time.
