It was the second Alexander Ovechkin’s followers had been ready for.
When Ovechkin’s puck hit the online on Sunday, it made him the top goal scorer in NHL history.
Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky’s report by scoring his 895th profession aim within the Washington Capitals’ sport in opposition to the New York Islanders, beating fellow Russian Ilya Sorokin on an influence play with 12:34 left within the second interval.
Capitals coach Spencer Carbery referred to as it “the final word goal-scorer’s aim for the best of all time.”
Tens of 1000’s of followers cheered and chanted, “Ovi! Ovi!” as his teammates mobbed him in celebration.
On the opposite aspect of the world, hockey followers in Russia had been additionally paying shut consideration. Russian President Vladimir Putin himself additionally prolonged his appreciation. Over time, Ovechkin has aligned himself with Putin and with numerous pro-Kremlin campaigns. Though the 39-year-old has been criticized for his politics by the years, many are celebrating the athlete’s celebrity success — particularly in Russia.
“There isn’t any larger star in Russian sports activities than Alex Ovechkin, that’s for positive,” mentioned Oleg Rabiner, a sportswriter with Sport-Express, a Russian sports activities every day, and the creator of a brand new Ovechkin biography.
Rabiner mentioned that Ovechkin grew up in Moscow in an athletic household and was destined to be a fantastic athlete.
“His dad and mom’ affect on him was, and is, large,” Rabiner mentioned. “His mother is a two-time Olympic champion in basketball. I feel she was a giant boss when he was rising up, and his father, he’s a soccer participant, however his profession [ended] very early due to an harm.”
Rabiner mentioned that Ovechkin’s father channeled his unachieved sports activities aspirations by his son, which labored out past his creativeness. Ovechkin has attained the best heights a hockey participant can obtain, together with reaching the aim report and profitable the Stanley Cup in 2018, making hockey followers in Russia proud.
Ovechkin’s achievement was the highest story on Russian state TV Monday. On Channel One, one in all Russia’s prime state TV channels, a information anchor mentioned, “Our delight, Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander the good!”
Rabiner added that Ovechkin “at all times positions himself as Russian, it’s nationwide delight as a result of, if his nation turns into finest on the earth, it’s a purpose to be proud.”
Slava Malamud, a former sports activities reporter, and an Ovechkin critic, mentioned that in Russia, specifically, big-time sports activities have at all times been seen as an extension of the nation’s overseas coverage. Particularly hockey, he mentioned, has at all times had a giant propaganda worth.
“They are saying maintain politics and sports activities separate, but it surely simply doesn’t work that manner in Russia,” Malamud mentioned. “Any main athlete goes to be seen as any individual who defends the distinction of the motherland. It’s at all times a high-profile athlete co-opted by the politicians, by the leaders, and can principally be requested to serve a political operate, as effectively. And with Ovechkin, that’s significantly true.”
Malamud mentioned that there are just a few particularly controversial examples, beginning with Russia’s 2014 invasion of the Donbas area of japanese Ukraine.
“He took half in a media campaign that promoted the conflict in Donbas. It was referred to as #SaveChildrenFromFascism,” Malamud mentioned. “Russia was attempting to characterize its invasion of Donbas as this righteous campaign to save lots of Ukraine from Nazis or one thing.”
That is still a Kremlin propaganda narrative at the moment.
Ovechkin even obtained a name from Putin congratulating him on his marriage in 2016. Towards the top of the cellphone dialog, Ovechkin advised Putin, “We love you and respect you.”
Later, in 2017, Ovechkin based “Putin Team,” a marketing campaign that supported Putin’s reelection, recruiting different high-profile Russian athletes to help him.
Ovechkin’s pro-Putin stance got here beneath scrutiny in February 2022 after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At a press convention, he was requested whether or not he nonetheless supported Putin in gentle of the conflict.
“Nicely, he’s my president,” Ovechkin mentioned. “I’m not in politics. I’m an athlete. I hope all the things [the war] goes to be executed quickly. It’s a tough scenario proper now for either side.”
He went on to say, “please no extra conflict” and “we have now to reside in peace,” however he didn’t transcend that.
Since then, Ovechkin has mentioned little or no concerning the conflict in Ukraine, or about Russian politics. However there’s additionally no indication that Ovechkin has modified his views on Putin, even because the full-scale invasion.
“There may be all that difficult previous, I imply he has one thing to reply for,” Malamud mentioned. “I imply, he has supported Putin; he has repeatedly mentioned that he helps each single one in all Putin’s selections, and it’s not unfair to ask him to reply for these statements.”
The Capitals didn’t reply to questions by way of e-mail about Ovechkin’s political positions.
Followers and critics alike acknowledge that athletes in Russia typically must stroll a effective line relating to politics. There’s even been hypothesis that Ovechkin has continued to help Putin as a result of he has household in Russia who might face repercussions if he had been to alter course.
And for now, Ovechkin’s Instagram profile photo stays a picture of him posing with Putin on the Kremlin.
