The three skaters committed to this year's charity showcase keep pulling out all the stops to build buzz around the event.
Over the past few days, the showcase's Instagram page rolled out an advertisement starring Mikhail Sergachev, Artemi Panarin, and Ovechkin as the three prepare to journey toward the host city, Saint Petersburg, where the July 25 event takes place inside SKA Arena.
Behind the wheel and turning up late, Ovechkin uses the spot to poke fun at the choice still in front of him about his career — whether to step away or suit up for one more campaign — while slipping in a sly nod to his standing atop the league's career goal list.
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What the ad covers
In the clip, rendered here from a Google Translate version, Panarin grows impatient and grumbles that even the voice assistant, Alisa, is quicker to get going than his teammate. When Alisa pipes up offering help, a puzzled Panarin asks who is talking, and Sergachev waves it off as a long story, urging him not to repeat the name. Panarin presses, asking simply where Sasha Ovechkin has gotten to. Sergachev floats the idea that Ovechkin might already be off to Turkey, but Panarin says no, that he had mentioned having something to take care of.
Ovechkin finally turns up and apologizes for the delay. When Sergachev asks whether that's it, whether he's finished, Ovechkin quips that he hasn't put out the official word yet. Sergachev clarifies he only meant whether they can leave, and Ovechkin says one thing still needs swapping out — at which point he replaces a Wayne Gretzky air freshener hanging in the car with one of himself.
Ovechkin then asks Panarin if he can work the navigation. Panarin unfurls an enormous map of Russia and announces it's 700 kilometers straight ahead. Ovechkin tells him to put the map down and instead asks Alisa to plot a course to Saint Petersburg; the assistant replies that it's done and that the route runs 700 kilometers straight on. Panarin protests that's exactly what he had just said. Sergachev calms everyone, saying it's fine and they should get moving, with the rest of the group catching up. Alisa closes by naming the next stop: the Match of the Year.
Past the polished performances, the commercial earns its charm by working real-life threads into the story. The ad nods to the open question about Ovechkin's future and to his toppling of the league goal mark — the vehicle's plate reads O929VI — and it dropped right as he was setting off on his yearly, month-long Turkish getaway.
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Ovechkin has skated in both of the prior charity contests, events that pit NHL standouts against KHL competition. A year ago, he was handed a brand-new vehicle to mark his ascent to the throne as the all-time goal leader. He then found twine in the 15-3 rout by the NHL contingent, lining up on the top unit beside Andrei Svechnikov and Panarin. As the opening intermission arrived, he manned a turret-style t-shirt cannon.
By his own word, Ovechkin plans to settle the question of an NHL return in July.