Alexander Ovechkin Biography

Alexander Ovechkin was born in Moscow, Soviet Union on September 17, 1985. He is the son of Mikhail and Tatyana Ovechkin. Alexander's mother was a former Olympic basketball player. She won Olympic gold medals with the Soviet team in both 1976 and 1980. Alexander's father, Mikhail, was a professional soccer player. Alexander had one older brother, Sergei, who was killed in a car accident.

Alexander Ovechkin was selected as No. 1 draft pick by the Washington Capitals in 2004. The Capitals are based in Washington, D.C., and they are a member of the National Hockey League (NHL). Ovechkin quickly became a stand-out star, leading all NHL rookies in goals and power-play goals during the 2005-2006 season. Ovechkin was honored as NHL Rookie of the Month and NHL Offensive Player of the Month for January 2006. Ovechkin also distinguished himself as one of the few rookies in NHL history to score 50 goals and 100 points in a single season.  Another highlight of Ovechkin's career came in June of 2006, when he was awarded the Calder Trophy for NHL Rookie of the Year. His rival for the trophy was fellow stand-out star, Sidney Crosby.

Both Ovechkin and Crosby are NHL record-breakers, and hockey fans delight in comparing their stats. Though Crosby lost the Calder Trophy to Ovechkin, Crosby was a part of the gold medal winning Canadian team during the 2010 Winter Olympics. Hockey fans debate over which player is the greatest.  Alexander Ovechkin broke the Washington Capitals' team record for goals in a single season in March of 2008. The following month, he set a new record for goals scored by a left winger in a single season with a total of 65 goals during the 2007-2008 season. He has been awarded the Lester B. Pearson Award, the Hart Memorial Trophy, the Art Ross Trophy, and the Rocket Richard Trophy. He made history again as the only player to have won all four major NHL awards. Alexander Ovechkin competed in the NHL All-Star game in 2007, 2008, and 2009. In February of 2010, he was named team captain of the Washington Capitals.

During the 2009-2010 season, Ovechkin was penalized for several game misconducts. He also received two suspensions. In November 2009, Alex was charged with misconduct when he bumped knees with an opposing player. The second incident happened in March of 2010, and Alex was charged with misconduct and boarding after shoving a player into the boards. Each incident resulted in a two-game suspension.