Photos: Washington Capitals
Alex Ovechkin, the Washington Capitals’ lone representative at the 2023 NHL All-Star game, met with the media in South Florida on Thursday. The actual All-Star game will take place at the Florida Panthers’ home arena in Sunrise, Florida, not far from Miami, but today’s media session was held waterside at a nearby beach hotel.
Ovechkin and his family flew down to Florida beforehand to enjoy a day off at the beach on Wednesday, prior to the commencement of media day and the other All-Star festivities on Thursday.
No days off for the Ovechkin boys. 😁 #ALLCAPS [🎥: @nastyashubskya] pic.twitter.com/SavlMURATX
— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) February 2, 2023
As for media day, Ovechkin sat beach-side to field questions from the national and international media covering this weekend’s event. Ovechkin said that his son Sergei will get to spend a portion of the weekend with him, including time in the players locker room on Friday and Saturday.
Caps captain Alex Ovechkin meets with the media from 2023 #NHLAllStar Media Day.#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/NZpH54bDF6
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 2, 2023
Ovechkin also met one-on-one with various media, including Jamie Hersch from the NHL Network. Ovechkin spoke about the importance of the All-Star game and being able to spend time at the event with his son, Sergei.
Ovechkin brought along his wife, Nastya, and his older son, Sergei to today’s media day. Sergei even got a chance to sit at his father’s podium prior to the start of player interviews.
Sergei Ovechkin meets with the media. 😁 [🎥: @Nastyashubskya] #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/aoiSdhG2wb
— #ALLCAPS (@JonItBe) February 2, 2023
As for the event, it will be a full schedule for Ovechkin this year. He will not only play in the game itself but will also take part in the Breakaway Challenge (with Sidney Crosby as his partner) and the Hardest Shot Competition.
For the Breakaway Challenge, Ovechkin is the only participant with prior experience, which includes three wins (2008, 2009, and 2011). We’ll have to wait and see what type of surprise he and Crosby have up their sleeves.
How will the participants in the 2023 Great Clips Breakaway Challenge dazzle this year?
Alex Ovechkin is the only player partaking this event with previous experience, a resume that includes three wins (2008, 2009 & 2011). Details: https://t.co/6FN6flIAVc pic.twitter.com/MfsrYVf5Ei
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 2, 2023
As noted, Ovechkin is also taking part in the Hardest Shot contest which he won back in 2018. Three other All-Stars have participated in that contest in the past and two of them are competing again; Seth Jones and Elias Petersson.
Four 2023 All-Stars have competed in the GEICO Hardest Shot event previously, including three who will partake this year: Alex Ovechkin (5x, last: 2018), Seth Jones (3x, last: 2020) and Elias Pettersson (2020). #NHLAllStar
Details: https://t.co/6FN6flIAVc pic.twitter.com/HjIGPTsBLL
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 2, 2023
Action from Sunrise, Florida begins at 7:00PM on Friday with the NHL Skills Competition.
IMAGES FROM MEDIA DAY
Sergei himself was a hit. He posed for a picture with other Russian All-Star game participants, including Andrei Vasilevskiy and Nikita Kucherov, and even conducted his own media session.
By Diane Doyle
Good hockey weather.
When some speculated that he would skip the All Stars as he has at times in the past, I said that I expected him to go because of his condo near by (a 50 minute drive from the Fla Live Arena in Sunrise) and, more importantly, because of his sons. They are now old enough to take an interest in it. And the proud papa is really shining through.
I was expecting him to go this year, as well, due to his condo being so close to Sunrise. He had planned to go to Vegas last year (and take the family) but tested positive for Covid which put a kibosh on that.
Yes, the brash young wild gun has turned into quite the family man.