Photo: Championat Russia
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin returned to Russia earlier this week. On Saturday he took his wife, Nastya, and their elder son, Sergei to the soccer game between FC Dynamo and HC Sochi. It was the 30th round of the Russian Premier League (RPL) and was the battle for second place. Sochi won, 5-1, as Dynamo took home the bronze medal.
Ovechkin learned hockey at the Moscow Dynamo club but cheers Dynamo in other sports as well. His father, Mikhail, was a soccer player with Dynamo when he was younger. Ovechkin’s mother, Tatyana, was a basketball player with Dynamo, which was instrumental in how the couple met.
Photo: Match.tv
Given his and his parents’ long association with Dynamo, Ovechkin considers it important to support Dynamo.
“What is there to say? Dynamo is my blood. I have a lot to do with this club,” Ovechkin told Match.tv.
Ovechkin and his son Sergei were given the honors to sound the gong that signifies the game reached its 85th minute. This was the first time that Dynamo had medaled in soccer since 2008.
He also encountered Russian wrestler, Abdulrashid Sadulaev while at the game.
Photo: Twitter Account of Fedor’s Nephew
The hockey team, HC Dynamo Moscow, offered their congratulations.
“Our football friends for the first time in 14 years have medaled in the Russian Premier League! And even if today’s result did not bring the desired emotions, we congratulate our colleagues on this achievement. On May 29, we will be with you! Forward, Dynamo!” – stated in the message of the KHL club.
Ovechkin does not plan to watch the 2022 IIHC World Hockey Championships this year because Russia and Belarus are barred.
“Not. Absolutely not. Well [without the presence of Russia in the tournament], what is there to see?”
Ovechkin discussed his training plans for next hockey season, and said he will start preparing to train at the end of June and will gradually increase his workload.
“ I think we will start preparations at the end of June. We will work gradually. And then we will fruitfully approach the training process in July and August. I started in mid-July [in the past]. And now it will be almost a month earlier. Why? I want to change something.”
He also said he plans to participate in Alexander Semin’s farewell game.
“Yes, I’ll come. I will definitely be with [Semin]. And I know that Krasnoyarsk is a hockey region. Once Sasha and I went to the forest, a remote taiga, a hut, next to it was a store. And we were recognized even there!”
By Diane Doyle
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Sergei was locked in ! 😂
Good to see Ovi and Sergei doing father/son things again.
So I imagine he will be in Moscow through Semin’s farewell game June 30 and then start fruitfully training. Wonder if that will be in Moscow, NoVA, or Florida.
I presume Semin’s farewell game is in Krasnoyarsk so he’ll be traveling there for June 30. Moscow after that, I presume until it’s back to either DC or Florida.