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189-610: Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin (Russian: Алекса́ндр Миха́йлович Ове́чкин , IPA: [ɐlʲɪˈksandr ɐˈvʲetɕkʲɪn] ; born 17 September 1985, Moscow , Russian SFSR , Soviet Union , now Russia ) is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed " the Great 8 " in reference to his jersey number, Ovechkin

378-551: A "tyrannical" principal, completing eight and a half grades before starting at Dynamo Moscow 's sports school. While he saw his friends "getting high and getting dead," Ovechkin was attending daily training sessions morning and night. "You dive into sport with your head and arms and legs, and there's no time for anything else," he said of this early training. Whenever his parents were no longer able to get young Alex to hockey events, his elder brother Sergei stepped up, making sure his little brother got where he needed to go. When Ovechkin

567-483: A 20 July 2005, deadline. Although a new NHL collective bargaining agreement (CBA) had not yet been reached between players and owners, Ovechkin decided to opt out and signed with the Capitals on 5 August 2005. The deal was a three-year, entry-level contract worth the rookie maximum of $ 984,200 per season with performance-based bonuses to inflate his annual salary to as much as $ 3.9 million. Two days after signing,

756-546: A 3–2 loss to the New York Rangers . Playing in the final season of his rookie contract, in 2007–08 , Ovechkin signed a 13-year contract extension worth $ 124 million with the Capitals on 10 January 2008. The contract, which averages $ 9.5 million per year, was the richest in NHL history. Working without an agent, Ovechkin negotiated with Capitals owner Ted Leonsis and former general manager George McPhee . Late in

945-548: A 4–1 win against the Winnipeg Jets , passing Gordie Howe for the second most goals in NHL history, behind only Wayne Gretzky. Ovechkin tied Mike Gartner for having the most 30-goal seasons upon recording a 30-goal season for the 17th time on 14 January 2023, in a 3–1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers . He surpassed Gretzky to set a new NHL record for most 40-goal seasons after securing his 13th on 21 March, in

1134-523: A 4–3 overtime defeat. On 11 January 2017, Ovechkin scored his 1,000th career point with a goal on Marc-André Fleury in a 7–1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, becoming the 37th player in NHL history to reach 1,000 points with only one team. Ovechkin finished the 2016–17 season playing all 82 games with 33 goals, 36 assists and 69 points to help the Capitals clinch their second consecutive Presidents' Trophy and third in franchise history. In

1323-557: A 4–3 win over the New York Islanders , moving him into third place for goals scored all-time in the NHL, passing Jaromír Jágr ; he achieved the feat in 477 fewer games than Jagr, yet had also taken 400 more shots on goal. On 20 April, in a 4–3 overtime loss against the Vegas Golden Knights , he scored his 50th goal of the season for the ninth time in his career, tying Mike Bossy and Wayne Gretzky for having

1512-531: A 6–2 win over the Utah Hockey Club , Ovechkin sustained a broken fibula as a result of a knee-on-knee collision with Utah forward Jack McBain , sidelining him for four-to-six weeks. At the time of this injury, Ovechkin had a league-leading 15 goals (including two goals earlier in the game against Utah prior to the injury) along with 10 assists for 25 points in the first 18 games of the 2024–25 season . "When (other) guys shoot it, it goes in somewhat of

1701-536: A 7–1 victory over the Ottawa Senators against goaltender Andrew Hammond , becoming the 43rd player to reach the 500-goal plateau, and the fifth-fastest player to do so in his 801st game, as well as the first Russian. On 9 April, in the 2015–16 season finale against the St. Louis Blues , Ovechkin scored his 50th goal of the season and became the third player in NHL history to have seven or more 50-goal seasons. During

1890-578: A 7–6 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets . The Capitals would miss the 2023 playoffs by 12 points in the standings mainly due to injuries to other players on the team, marking the first time since 2014 where the Capitals missed the playoffs. Despite the team difficulties, Ovechkin still continued his individual success by having ended the 2022–23 season with 42 goals, 33 assists and 75 points in 73 games played. On 7 December 2023, Ovechkin recorded his 1,500th point with an assist on

2079-529: A Russian-born player in league history. On 14 December in a 6–5 shootout win over the Carolina Hurricanes, Ovechkin recorded his 23rd career hat trick with one of those goals being the 237th power play goal of his career on Hurricanes goaltender Scott Darling to pass Mario Lemieux for most power play goals with one franchise. Ovechkin had a career-best 14 game point streak from 16 November to 15 December, which included back-to-back hat tricks against

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2268-564: A consecutive streak of 203 games played. On 5 February 2009, Ovechkin scored his 200th goal, against Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings , becoming only the fourth player in the NHL to reach the milestone in four seasons, joining Wayne Gretzky , Mike Bossy and Mario Lemieux. On 19 March, he scored his 50th goal of the season against the Tampa Bay Lightning , becoming the first Washington Capitals player to reach

2457-415: A daily newspaper. In the 1830s, general Alexander Bashilov planned the first regular grid of city streets north from Petrovsky Palace. Khodynka field south of the highway was used for military training. Smolensky Rail station (forerunner of Belorussky Rail Terminal ) was inaugurated in 1870. Sokolniki Park , in the 18th century the home of the tsar's falconers well outside Moscow, became contiguous with

2646-552: A first qualification round in November 2008, where the top three teams from the round advance to the second qualification round. Teams ranked 10th through 18th joined the three top teams from the first qualifying round to play in a second qualification round. The top three teams from the second qualifying round advanced to the Olympic tournament. The twelve teams in the men's event are seeded into three groups of four teams. In

2835-475: A four point night. Ovechkin would be named captain for the 2020 National Hockey League All-Star Game , and again chose to skip the game to rest, and would serve another automatic one game suspension. On 22 February 2020, Ovechkin scored his 700th career goal in the third period of a 3–2 loss against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center , making him the eighth player in NHL history to accomplish

3024-482: A fractured clavicle and fractured rib, and was expected to be out seven-to-eight weeks. Ovechkin won the Ted Lindsay Award , becoming only the second player in NHL history to win the award in three consecutive years. He also led the NHL in goals per game and points per game for three straight seasons, from 2008 to 2010. Ovechkin is the Capitals' all-time leader in goals. His 50 goals made him the runner up for

3213-491: A future Toronto Maple Leafs first overall selection, was in attendance during the game; he said in an interview in November 2016, shortly into the 2016–17 season that it was the best goal he ever saw live. On 1 February, Ovechkin was named NHL Rookie of the Month for January 2006 as well as being named Offensive Player of the Month, becoming only the third player in NHL history to earn both honors simultaneously. Ovechkin finished

3402-468: A game against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center , Ovechkin sent Blackhawks' defenceman Brian Campbell into the boards after Campbell had dumped the puck to the blue line. Ovechkin was called for boarding, receiving a five-minute major and a game misconduct, and was suspended for two games (for a third game misconduct of the season, a two-game suspension is automatic). Campbell suffered

3591-432: A game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on 1 November 2009, after a collision with opposing forward Raffi Torres . After returning, Ovechkin was suspended by the NHL on 1 December for two games (one for the action, and one for a second game misconduct penalty during the season) for a knee-on-knee hit to Carolina Hurricanes defenceman Tim Gleason during a game the previous day. Both Gleason and Ovechkin had to be helped off

3780-538: A game against the Toronto Maple Leafs , Ovechkin scored his eighth goal of the season to tie Sergei Fedorov 's tally for the most goals among Russian born players, with 483. On 19 November, Ovechkin scored his ninth goal of the season against goaltender Kari Lehtonen in a 3–2 loss to the Dallas Stars ; that goal broke Fedorov's record. On 10 January 2016, Ovechkin scored his 500th and 501st goals in

3969-508: A game against the Carolina Hurricanes, Ovechkin scored his 50th goal of the year on Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward and became the sixth player in NHL history to have six 50-goal seasons, joining Guy Lafleur , Mike Bossy , Wayne Gretzky , Marcel Dionne and Mario Lemieux . On 2 April, Ovechkin scored his 51st and 52nd goals of the season in a 5–4 shootout win against Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens , surpassing Bondra as

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4158-516: A game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. After scoring his 50th goal of the season, Ovechkin put his stick on the ice, pretending to warm his hands over it because it was "hot." The incident sparked an immediate response from then-Tampa Bay head coach Rick Tocchet , who said that "[Ovechkin] went down a notch in my books." Boudreau had also stated that he would discuss the incident with Ovechkin, and then-teammate Mike Green , despite being

4347-698: A goal and five assists for six points in all six playoff games in the Capitals first round loss in the 2022 playoffs by the Presidents' Trophy -winning Florida Panthers. On 5 November 2022, Ovechkin scored his 787th goal with the Washington Capitals against the Arizona Coyotes , setting a new NHL record for most goals with one team, a record previously held by Gordie Howe . He set another NHL best on 29 November, surpassing Gretzky for most road goals with 403, after scoring two goals against

4536-682: A goal by Aliaksei Protas in a 4–2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights, becoming the 60th player in NHL history to reach the mark. On 2 November, he became the fourth player in NHL history 39 years of age or older to record three points in consecutive games (a goal and two assists in a 6–3 win against the Montreal Canadiens on 31 October and a goal and two assists in a 7–2 victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets on 2 November) after Tim Horton (1968–69), Gordie Howe (1968–69) and Jean Ratelle (1980–81). On 18 November, in

4725-568: A goal scored by Dylan Strome in a 5–4 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars to become the 16th player in NHL history to reach the mark. Ovechkin later scored his 57th career empty-net goal in a 3–0 Capitals win over the Boston Bruins on 10 February 2024, passing Wayne Gretzky for the most all-time. On 9 April, Ovechkin scored his 30th goal of the season on Detroit Red Wings goaltender Alex Lyon for his 18th 30-goal campaign, passing Mike Gartner for most 30-goal seasons in NHL history. He finished

4914-591: A hat trick and the game winner. The Capitals would go on to defeat the Canadiens in OT 5–4 with former Canadien Lars Eller scoring the winning goal for the Capitals but if Ovechkin had scored it would’ve been a regulation 5–4 win for the Capitals and a hat trick for Ovechkin himself since he already had two goals earlier in that same game. Also, in a game against the Montreal Canadiens on 16 April 2022, towards

5103-478: A legendary player. He's getting the points, the goals, the assists. Everybody thinks of Alex as a pure goal-scorer, which he is, and he's got to those numbers hundreds of games before other people have reached that number but you always tend to forget he's a pretty good playmaker as well." On 22 October 2018, in a game against the Vancouver Canucks , after Vancouver had pulled their goalie, Ovechkin passed

5292-591: A prosperous city that would eclipse its parent principality of Vladimir by the 1320s. On the right bank of the Moskva River, at a distance of eight kilometres (5 mi) from the Kremlin, by 1282 Daniel founded the first monastery with the wooden church of St. Daniel-Stylite, which is now the Danilov Monastery. Daniel died in 1303, aged 42. Before his death, he became a monk and, according to his will,

5481-511: A record 411 hours in July 2014, 79% of possible sunshine. December 2017 was the darkest month in Moscow since records began, with only six minutes of sunlight. Temperatures in the centre of Moscow are often significantly higher than in the outskirts and nearby suburbs, especially in winter. For example, if the average January temperature in the north-east of Moscow is −6.2 °C (20.8 °F), in

5670-655: A segment of Hockey Night in Canada ' s Coach's Corner, Canadian hockey analyst Don Cherry likened Ovechkin's celebrations of jumping into the boards and his teammates to that of soccer players, concluding that this was not the Canadian way and advising Canadian kids to ignore Ovechkin's example. Then–Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau came to Ovechkin's defence, stating Cherry "doesn't know Alex like we know Alex", and Ovechkin himself stated that he "doesn't care" about Cherry. The next notable incident happened on 19 March 2009, in

5859-470: A shoulder injury sustained in the gold medal game against Canada in the 2005 World Junior Championships . In the playoffs, he helped Dynamo win the RSL title. With the threat of the lockout canceling another NHL season, Ovechkin signed a contract with rival Russian team Avangard Omsk . In order to maintain his eligibility for the NHL in the event that the lockout ended, the contract contained an out clause with

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6048-490: A silver medal. Ovechkin now shares the single tournament goals record with Cole Caufield , who scored as many in seven games at the 2019 IIHF World U18 Championships . At the age of 18, Ovechkin was named captain of the junior Russian national team. Russia finished fifth in the tournament. In 2003, the team would go on to win a gold medal in the World Junior Championships . At the age of 19, Ovechkin

6237-534: A straight line. His is dipping, diving, rising, sinking. It just comes at you. It's not like any other shot. - Dallas Stars goaltender Ben Bishop on Ovechkin, February 2019. Ovechkin is widely considered a generational talent and one of the greatest goal scorers in NHL history and the NHL player who stands as having a realistic chance at overtaking Wayne Gretzky in total career goals (894). Gretzky said himself in April 2019 when asked about it that he wants to be

6426-448: A symptom of disorderly lifestyles of lower-class Russians recently arrived from the farms. Elites called for improved sanitation, which became part of Catherine's plans for increasing control over social life. National political and military successes from 1812 through 1855 calmed the critics and validated efforts to produce a more enlightened and stable society. There was less discussion about the poor conditions of public health. However, in

6615-499: A week or two at a time. In the winter, average temperatures normally drop to approximately −10 °C (14 °F), though almost every winter there are periods of warmth with day temperatures rising above 0 °C (32 °F), and periods of cooling with night temperatures falling below −20 °C (−4 °F). These periods usually last about a week or two. The growing season in Moscow normally lasts for 156 days usually around 1 May to 5 October. The highest temperature ever recorded

6804-477: Is "The Great 8." While Ovechkin has been well known for being a prolific goal-scorer with his powerful shooting skills, he has also been shown to be a proficient passer and setting up goals scored by teammates. On 25 January 2018, when Ovechkin recorded his 500th assist on a Nicklas Bäckström goal in a 4–2 win over the Florida Panthers , then–Capitals head coach Barry Trotz said after the game, "He's

6993-538: Is 19.7 °C (67.5 °F). The lowest ever recorded temperature was −42.1 °C (−43.8 °F) in January 1940. Snow, which is present for about five months a year, often begins to fall mid-October, while snow cover lies in late November and melts at the end of March. On average, Moscow has 1731 hours of sunshine per year, varying from a low of 8% in December to 52% from May to August. This large annual variation

7182-668: Is a surname, most common in Russia, Bulgaria , Ukraine and North Macedonia . Additionally, there are similarly named places in Poland like Mozgawa . According to a Finno-Ugric hypothesis, the Merya and Muroma people, who were among the pre-Slavic tribes which inhabited the area, called the river Mustajoki "Black river", and the name of the river derives from this term. Other theories, having little or no scientific basis, are rejected by linguists. The original Old Russian form of

7371-472: Is about −7.0 °C (19.4 °F). At the end of January–February it is often colder, with frosts reaching −30.0 °C (−22.0 °F) a few nights per year (2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013). The last decade was the warmest in the history of meteorological observations of Moscow. Temperature changes in the city are depicted in the table below: Moscow is one of the few cities with paleontological monuments of world significance on its territory. One of them

7560-485: Is due to convective cloud formation. In the winter, moist air from the Atlantic condenses in the cold continental interior, resulting in very overcast conditions. However, this same continental influence results in considerably sunnier summers than oceanic cities of similar latitude such as Edinburgh . Between 2004 and 2010, the average was between 1800 and 2000 hours with a tendency to more sunshine in summer months, up to

7749-437: Is global, not regional. During the summer, extreme heat is often observed in the city (2001, 2002, 2003, 2010 , 2011, 2021 ). Along with a southern part of Central Russia , after recent years of hot summer seasons, the climate of the city gets hot-summer classification trends. Winter also became significantly milder: for example, the average January temperature in the early 1900s was −12.0 °C (10.4 °F), while now it

Alexander Ovechkin - Misplaced Pages Continue

7938-537: Is home to Russian companies in different industries and is served by a comprehensive transit network, which includes four international airports , ten railway terminals, a tram system , a monorail system , and the Moscow Metro , which is the busiest metro system in Europe and one of the largest rapid transit systems in the world. The city has over 40 percent of its territory covered by greenery, making it one of

8127-643: Is one of twelve Hero Cities . The demonym for a Moscow resident is rendered as Muscovite in English. The site of modern-day Moscow has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Among the earliest finds are relics of the Lyalovo culture , which experts assign to the Neolithic period. They confirm that the first inhabitants of the area were hunters and gatherers. Around 950 AD, two Slavic tribes, Vyatichi and Krivichi , settled here. The Vyatichi may have formed

8316-760: Is the Gorodnya River with its tributaries, on the banks of which outcrops of the Quaternary and older Cretaceous periods are located. Fossils of the bivalve mollusk Inoceramus kleinii and tubular passages of burrowing animals, described in 2017 as a new ichnospecies Skolithos gorodnensis , were discovered in the Coniacian deposits near the stream bed of the Bolshaya Glinka River. Ichnogenera Diplocraterion , Planolites , Skolithos and possibly Ophiomorpha were found in

8505-484: Is widely regarded as one of the greatest goal scorers of all time. Second only to Wayne Gretzky in all-time goal scoring , Ovechkin holds many NHL career records, including the most power play goals, most goals in away games , most overtime goals, and most goals with one team in NHL history. Ovechkin is one of just three players in NHL history to score 800 career goals, along with Gretzky and Gordie Howe . Ovechkin began his professional career with Dynamo Moscow of

8694-640: The 1980 Summer Olympics and one of the host cities of the 2018 FIFA World Cup . The city contains several UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is known for its display of Russian architecture , particularly in areas such as the Red Square and buildings such as the Saint Basil's Cathedral and the Moscow Kremlin , the latter of which is the seat of power of the Government of Russia . Moscow

8883-445: The 2005–06 season leading all NHL rookies in goals, points, power play goals and shots. He finished third overall in the NHL in scoring with 106 points and tied for third in goals with 52 and 54 assists. His 425 shots led the league, set an NHL rookie record, and was the fourth-highest total in NHL history. Ovechkin's point total was the second-best in Washington Capitals history and his goals total tied for third in franchise history. He

9072-510: The 2008 IIHF World Championship . However, for the women's tournament in Vancouver, the IIHF used the standard three-official system with one referee and two linesmen, saying that the four-official system is not currently needed in women's international hockey. The games of the 2010 tournament were held at the 6,800 seat UBC Winter Sports Centre and 18,810 seat General Motors Place , which

9261-598: The 2010–11 season . He continued to use Bauer equipment until the Stanley Cup-winning 2017–18 season, when he switched back to CCM. Ovechkin currently uses the Ribcor Trigger stick and Super Tacks AS1 skates. At the age of 16, Ovechkin played at the 2002 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, where he scored two hat tricks, one against Switzerland and one against the United States, and an assist. At

9450-452: The 2012 NHL All-Star Game due to the suspension. Ovechkin ended the 2011–12 season with 38 goals and 27 assists for 65 points in 78 games as the Capitals as a team finished as the seventh seed in the East. In the 2012 playoffs , Ovechkin and the Capitals would upset the defending Stanley Cup champion and second-seeded Boston Bruins in seven games before getting defeated in the second round by

9639-485: The 2015–16 season , Ovechkin, for the first time in his career, did not lead the Washington Capitals in points, although he still led the team in goals and the entire league with 50 for his sixth Rocket Richard Trophy, and finished second on the team in points with 71, behind fellow countryman Evgeny Kuznetsov , who finished with 77. The Capitals would win the Presidents' Trophy as the regular season champions. Ovechkin

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9828-478: The 2017 playoffs , the Capitals defeated the eighth-seeded Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round. Still, they were defeated in the second round for the second consecutive year by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, this time in seven games. In the fallout of their playoff loss, Ovechkin was considered among the greatest players to have never won the Stanley Cup. Upon returning to training camp

10017-532: The 2018 National Hockey League All-Star Game skills competition with a 98.8 mph first attempt, he became the only player in the 2018 All Star game to break the century mark, surpassing 100 mph on his second shot, stepping "up to plate and delivered a blistering 101.3 MPH blast." Ovechkin has been awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy honoring the most valuable player in the league three times (2008, 2009, 2013). Ovechkin's most enduring nickname

10206-574: The 2018 playoffs . He has also been named to the NHL first All-Star team eight times, and the second All-Star team four times. In 2017, Ovechkin was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players of all time. Internationally, Ovechkin has represented Russia in multiple tournaments. His first IIHF tournament was the 2002 World U18 Championship . The following year he made his debut at the World Junior Championship , helping Russia win

10395-424: The 2021 Russian census , the population was 13,010,112; up from 11,503,501 in the 2010 Russian census . Ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics It was the fifth Olympic appearance for Finns Jere Lehtinen and Teemu Selänne , thus making them only the sixth and seventh hockey players to compete at five Olympics after Udo Kießling , Petter Thoresen , Raimo Helminen , Dieter Hegen and Denis Perez (at

10584-528: The 2023–24 season with 31 goals, 34 assists and 65 points in 79 games played. Ovechkin and the Capitals narrowly got back into the playoffs as the eighth and final seed in the Eastern Conference, however, Ovechkin did not record a single goal or assist as the Capitals were swept in four games by the Presidents' Trophy-winning New York Rangers in the first round of the 2024 playoffs . On 15 October 2024, Ovechkin recorded his 700th career assist on

10773-581: The Albian deposits. Paleolithic flint tools were discovered in the Quaternary deposits of the Bolshaya Glinka stream bed. In 1878, paleontologist Hermann Trautschold discovered the left flipper of an ichthyosaur near the village of Mnevniki, which later became part of Moscow. In 2014, the animal was named Undorosaurus trautscholdi , after its discoverer. Trautschold determined the age of

10962-551: The Carolina Hurricanes , Ovechkin scored his 61st goal of the season to break the Washington Capitals' team record for goals in a single season previously held by Dennis Maruk . He also went on to break Luc Robitaille 's record for most goals by a left winger in one season on 3 April, by scoring two goals for his 64th and 65th of the season. He also became the first NHL player to score at least 40 even-strength goals in one season since Pavel Bure in 1999–2000 . Leading

11151-772: The Moja Ulitsa (in English: My Street ) urban redevelopment program or the Residency renovation one. By its territorial expansion on 1 July 2012, southwest into the Moscow Oblast the area of the capital more than doubled, going from 1,091 to 2,511 square kilometers (421 to 970 sq mi), resulting in Moscow becoming the largest city on the European continent by area; it also gained an additional population of 233,000 people. The annexed territory

11340-533: The Moskva and Neglinnaya and be filled with water from Neglinnaya. Known as the Alevizov moat and with a length of 541 metres (1,775 feet), width of 36 metres (118 feet), and depth of 9.5 to 13 metres (31–43 feet) was lined with limestone and, in 1533, fenced on both sides with low, four-metre-thick (13-foot) cogged-brick walls. In the 16th and 17th centuries, three circular defenses were built: Kitay-gorod ,

11529-719: The Pittsburgh Penguins for the Art Ross Trophy. Ovechkin and the Capitals repeated as division champions en route to meeting the New York Rangers in the opening round. After advancing to the second round in seven games and erasing a 3–1 series deficit against the Rangers, Ovechkin notched his first NHL playoff hat trick on 4 May, in game 2 against the Pittsburgh Penguins to help Washington to a 4–3 win. The Capitals were eventually defeated by Pittsburgh,

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11718-537: The Republic of Crimea . The areas operate in what is referred to in international standards as Moscow Standard Time (MSK, МСК ) , which is 3 hours ahead of UTC , or UTC+3 . Daylight saving time is no longer observed. According to the geographical longitude the average solar noon in Moscow occurs at 12:30. Moscow has a humid continental climate ( Köppen : Dfb ) with long, cold (although average by Russian standards) winters usually lasting from mid-November to

11907-554: The Russian Superleague in 2001, playing there for four seasons and returning briefly during the 2012–13 NHL lockout . A highly touted prospect, Ovechkin was selected by the Capitals first overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft . In the 2005–06 season , Ovechkin's first with the Capitals, he scored 52 goals and 54 assists to lead all rookies in points, capturing the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of

12096-652: The Stanley Cup Finals , the second time in franchise history they had done so (they previously did in 1998 before Ovechkin came to the team), and defeated the second-seeded Vegas Golden Knights in five games to win the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history and first in Ovechkin's career. Ovechkin won the Conn Smythe Trophy , awarded to the most valuable player for his team in

12285-448: The Toronto Maple Leafs , Ovechkin scored his 300th career goal against Maple Leafs goaltender James Reimer , becoming the sixth-youngest and seventh-fastest player to do so. He ended the 2010–11 season with 32 goals and 53 assists for 85 points in 79 contests. In the 2011 playoffs , Ovechkin recorded 10 points (five goals and assists) in all nine games as the top-seeded Capitals defeated the eighth-seeded New York Rangers in five games in

12474-410: The Vancouver Canucks . Ovechkin became the third player in NHL history to score 800 regular season goals, behind Howe and Gretzky, by scoring a hat trick against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on 13 December. It was also his 29th hat trick in the NHL, giving him the sixth most hat tricks by any player in the league's history. On 23 December, Ovechkin scored his 801st and 802nd career goals in

12663-565: The Wehrmacht and 650,000-1,280,000 for the Red Army. During the postwar years, there was a housing crisis, solved by the invention of high-rise apartments . There are over 11,000 of these standardised and prefabricated apartment blocks, housing most of Moscow's population, making it by far the city with the most high-rise buildings. Apartments were built and partly furnished in the factory, before being raised and stacked into tall columns. The popular Soviet-era comic film Irony of Fate parodies this construction method. The city of Zelenograd

12852-469: The Winnipeg Jets , making him the 20th player to do so, and the fourth to do so in fewer than 1,000 games. On 1 April, Ovechkin would play against the Pittsburgh Penguins in his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the first Capitals player to play 1,000 games and the 54th NHL player to do so with the same franchise. At the conclusion of the season, Ovechkin was awarded the Rocket Richard trophy for the seventh time in his career with his league leading 49 goals. He became

13041-400: The "White-Walled". The city's limits as marked by the ramparts, are now marked by the Garden Ring . Three square gates existed on the east side of the Kremlin wall, which in the 17th century, were known as Konstantino-Eleninsky, Spassky, Nikolsky (after the icons of Constantine and Helen, the Saviour and St. Nicholas that hung over them). The last two were directly opposite the Red Square, while

13230-418: The 15th century, but it was developed into a prestigious area during the 18th century. It was destroyed in the fire of 1812 and was rebuilt completely in the early 19th century. Moscow State University was established in 1755. Its main building was reconstructed after the 1812 fire by Domenico Giliardi . The Moskovskiye Vedomosti newspaper appeared from 1756, originally in weekly intervals, and from 1859 as

13419-432: The 1990s to 2000s, its population rising from below nine to above ten million. Mason and Nigmatullina argue that Soviet-era urban-growth controls produced controlled and sustainable metropolitan development, typified by the greenbelt built in 1935. Since then, however, there has been a dramatic growth of low-density suburban sprawl, created by heavy demand for single-family dwellings as opposed to crowded apartments. In 1995–97

13608-399: The 50-goal mark three times. He finished the campaign with 56 goals to capture his second consecutive Rocket Richard Trophy, joining Jarome Iginla and Pavel Bure as the third player to win the award twice and the second player after Bure (2000 and 2001) to win the award in back-to-back seasons. With 110 points (56 goals and 54 assists), he finished as runner-up to countryman Evgeni Malkin of

13797-488: The Canadiens lost the series in five games and had multiple setbacks in his recovery that was also followed by a brief stint in the NHL Players Assistance Program to get help with his mental health after coming forward about his struggles from alcohol abuse . When asked about this welcome back gesture in a post-game interview, Ovechkin responded by saying "Obviously, he's one of the best players in

13986-590: The Capitals as a team finished as the Metropolitan division champions for the fourth consecutive season and the second seed in the Eastern Conference overall for the second consecutive season. His 51 goals earned him the Rocket Richard Trophy for the eighth time in his NHL career. Ovechkin would also record four goals and five assists for nine points in all seven playoff games as the defending Stanley Cup champion Capitals were upset in seven games in

14175-796: The Czech Republic in the quarter-finals. For his efforts, Ovechkin was one of six players selected to the Media All-Star team. Moscow Moscow is the capital and largest city of Russia . The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia , with a population estimated at over 13 million residents within the city limits, over 19.1 million residents in the urban area, and over 21.5 million residents in its metropolitan area . The city covers an area of 2,511 square kilometers (970 sq mi), while

14364-573: The Dynamo Moscow system by scoring 56 goals at the age of 11, surpassing the previous record held by Pavel Bure , who had scored 53 goals. Meanwhile, Ovechkin dreamed of playing in the NHL, keeping the cards of star players stashed in his room, especially those of his idol, Mario Lemieux. "It's the best hockey there is," Ovechkin would say of the NHL. Ovechkin began playing in the Russian Super League (RSL) for Dynamo Moscow at

14553-688: The Flyers as the Capitals were eliminated in the opening round. After the season ended, Ovechkin was awarded the Lester B. Pearson Award as the most outstanding player voted by the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) and the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's MVP, becoming the first player in the history of the NHL to win four major regular season awards, including the Art Ross and Rocket Richard trophies. Ovechkin

14742-727: The General Staff of the Red Army were located in Moscow. In 1941, 16 divisions of the national volunteers (more than 160,000 people), 25 battalions, and 4 engineering regiments were formed among the Muscovites. Between October 1941 and January 1942, the German Army Group Centre was stopped at the outskirts of the city, then driven off in the Battle of Moscow . Many factories were evacuated, together with much of

14931-609: The Konstantino-Elenensky gate was located behind Saint Basil's Cathedral. The Russian famine of 1601–03 killed perhaps 100,000 in Moscow. Between 1610 and 1612, troops of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth occupied Moscow, as its ruler Sigismund III tried to take the Russian throne. In 1612, Nizhny Novgorod and other Russian cities led by prince Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin rose against

15120-529: The MKAD ring road was widened from the initial four to ten lanes. In December 2002 Bulvar Dmitriya Donskogo became the first Moscow Metro station that opened beyond the limits of MKAD. The Third Ring Road , intermediate between the early 19th-century Garden Ring and the Soviet-era outer ring road, was completed in 2004. The greenbelt is becoming more and more fragmented, and satellite cities are appearing at

15309-545: The Mongols under Batu Khan burned the city to the ground and killed its inhabitants. The timber fort na Moskvě "on the Moscow River" was inherited by Daniel , the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky , in the 1260s. Daniel was still a child at the time, and the big fort was governed by tiuns (deputies), appointed by Daniel's paternal uncle, Yaroslav of Tver . Daniel came of age in the 1270s and became involved in

15498-481: The NHL's worst, in the plus-minus statistic. However, the Capitals missed the 2014 playoffs by three points, marking the first time since 2006–07 where Ovechkin and the Capitals missed the playoffs. On 4 November 2014, in a game against the Calgary Flames , Ovechkin recorded his 826th point, a franchise record, surpassing Peter Bondra , who previously held the record with 825 points. On 31 March 2015, in

15687-811: The Polish occupants, besieged the Kremlin, and expelled them . In 1613, the Zemsky Sobor elected Michael Romanov tsar, establishing the Romanov dynasty . The 17th century saw several risings, such as the liberation of Moscow from the Polish–Lithuanian invaders (1612), the Salt Riot (1648), the Copper Riot (1662), and the Moscow Uprising of 1682 . During the first half of the 17th century,

15876-469: The Red Wings on 10 December and Hurricanes on 15 December, respectively. On 2 January 2019, Ovechkin was named a captain for the upcoming 2019 National Hockey League All-Star Game , but announced that he was choosing to skip the game to rest, forcing him to serve an automatic one game suspension as a result. Ovechkin ended the 2018–19 season with 51 goals, 38 assists and 89 points in 81 games played while

16065-571: The Richard Trophy which went to Pittsburgh Penguins forward and captain Sidney Crosby and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos who both had 51 goals for league leader(s) in goals. Ovechkin was also the runner up for the Art Ross Trophy for the second straight season (alongside Crosby with both players having 109 points) only behind Vancouver Canucks forward Henrik Sedin , who ended with 112 points. In 2009–10 Ovechkin surpassed

16254-719: The US and other Western countries due to the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. In 1991 Moscow was the scene of a coup attempt by conservative communists opposed to the liberal reforms of Mikhail Gorbachev . When the USSR was dissolved in 1991, Moscow remained the capital of the Russian Federation . Since then, a market economy has emerged, producing an explosion of Western-style retailing, services, architecture, and lifestyles. The city continued to grow during

16443-533: The Washington Capitals after previous captain Chris Clark was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He became the first European, second-youngest and 14th overall captain in team history. On 5 February, at a game against the New York Rangers, Ovechkin, with his second goal and third point of the game, reached the 500-point milestone of his NHL career. He is the fifth player to achieve the milestone in only five seasons, reaching it in 373 career games. On 14 March, at

16632-621: The White City and the Earthen City. However, in 1547, fires destroyed much of the town, and in 1571 the Crimean Tatars captured Moscow , burning everything except the Kremlin. The annals record that only 30,000 of 200,000 inhabitants survived. The Crimean Tatars attacked again in 1591, but were held back by new walls, built between 1584 and 1591 by a craftsman named Fyodor Kon . In 1592, an outer earth rampart with 50 towers

16821-546: The World Championship three times. Ovechkin was born on 17 September 1985 in Moscow , the son of Soviet athletes. His mother, Tatyana Ovechkina , is a two-time Olympic gold medalist (1976, 1980) and world champion (1975) in basketball. His father, Mikhail, was a football player. He has two older brothers, Sergei and Mikhail. His mother sensed her youngest son was destined for "sporting greatness". "From birth, it

17010-636: The actual 20th anniversary of the victory in World War II, Moscow was awarded a title of the Hero City . The Moscow Ring Road (MKAD) was opened in 1961. It had four lanes running 109 kilometres (68 miles) along the city borders. The MKAD marked the administrative boundaries of the city until the 1980s, when outlying suburbs beyond the ring road were incorporated. In 1980, Moscow hosted the Summer Olympic Games , which were boycotted by

17199-483: The age of 16. Making his professional debut in the 2001–02 season, he scored four points in 21 games. He would spend three seasons there prior to being drafted by the NHL, and he would rack up 36 goals and 32 assists in 152 career games. The following off-season, Ovechkin was selected first overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals . He had been projected as the first overall pick for nearly two years and had earned comparisons to Mario Lemieux . He

17388-454: The age of 17, when he was selected by Russian coach Viktor Tikhonov to play in the Česká Pojišťovna Cup EuroTour tournament, Ovechkin became the youngest skater ever to play for the Russian national team. In that tournament, he also became the youngest player ever to score for the national team. He also was selected to play at the 2002 IIHF World U18 Championships , in which he amassed 14 goals and four assists in eight games, leading Russia to

17577-507: The ancient " Novgorod Chronicle " and made it a propaganda vehicle for his regime. The original Moscow Kremlin was built in the 14th century. It was reconstructed by Ivan, who in the 1480s invited architects from Renaissance Italy , such as Petrus Antonius Solarius , who designed the new Kremlin wall and its towers, and Marco Ruffo who designed the new palace for the prince. The Kremlin walls as they now appear are those designed by Solarius, completed in 1495. The Kremlin's Great Bell Tower

17766-411: The best shots in the league." In July 2015, Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick quoted Ovechkin's powerful shooting skills by saying "Guys like Ovi shoot it so hard that it's almost like you're a batter in baseball. You see the blur of the puck coming at you in frames." Ovechkin's ability to shoot heavily as a power forward has been well documented. After clinching the hardest shot title at

17955-640: The capital of the Grand Duchy of Moscow . When the Tsardom of Russia was proclaimed, Moscow remained the political and economic center for most of its history. Under the reign of Peter the Great , the Russian capital was moved to the newly founded city of Saint Petersburg in 1712, decreasing Moscow's influence. Following the Russian Revolution and the establishment of the Russian SFSR ,

18144-559: The capital was moved back to Moscow in 1918, where it later became the political center of the Soviet Union . In the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union , Moscow remained the capital city of the newly established Russian Federation. The northernmost and coldest megacity in the world, Moscow is governed as a federal city , where it serves as the political, economic, cultural, and scientific center of Russia and Eastern Europe . As an alpha world city , Moscow has one of

18333-441: The city and −30 °C (−22 °F) in the suburbs to above 5 °C (41 °F) in the winter, and from 10 to 35 °C (50 to 95 °F) in the summer. Typical high temperatures in the warm months of June, July, and August are around a comfortable 20 to 26 °C (68 to 79 °F), but during heat waves (which can occur between May and September), daytime high temperatures often exceed 30 °C (86 °F), sometimes for

18522-502: The city. The plague epidemics ravaged Moscow in 1570–1571, 1592 and 1654–1656. The plague killed upwards of 80% of the people in 1654–55. Fires burned out much of the wooden city in 1626 and 1648. In 1712 Peter the Great moved his government to the newly built Saint Petersburg on the Baltic coast. After losing the status as capital, the population at first decreased, from 200,000 in the 17th century to 130,000 in 1750. But after 1750,

18711-575: The course of the Russo-Polish War (1654–1667) . These new outskirts became known as the Meshchanskaya sloboda , after Ruthenian meshchane "town people". The term meshchane acquired pejorative connotations in 18th-century Russia and today means "petty bourgeois" or "narrow-minded philistine". The entire city of the late 17th century are contained within what is today Moscow's Central Administrative Okrug . Numerous disasters befell

18900-957: The destruction during the French occupation, a Commission for the Construction of the City of Moscow was established. It launched a great program of rebuilding, including a partial replanning of the centre. Among many buildings constructed, or reconstructed, was the Grand Kremlin Palace and the Kremlin Armoury , the Moscow University , the Moscow Manege (Riding School), and the Bolshoi Theatre . The Arbat Street had been in existence since at least

19089-463: The end of March, and warm summers. More extreme continental climates at the same latitude – such as parts of Eastern Canada or Siberia – have much colder winters than Moscow, suggesting that there is still significant moderation from the Atlantic Ocean despite the fact that Moscow is far from the sea. Weather can fluctuate widely, with temperatures ranging from −25 °C (−13 °F) in

19278-423: The end of the 2021–22 season , Ovechkin showed respect and admiration for Canadiens goaltender Price by giving him a fist bump from across their respective benches during a stoppage of play. The Canadiens game previous day against the New York Islanders was Price’s first game back from a knee injury he sustained the previous summer in the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning in which Price and

19467-636: The end of the 1920s. A new anti-religious campaign, launched in 1929, coincided with the collectivization of peasants; the destruction of churches in the cities peaked around 1932. In 1937 letters were written to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union to rename Moscow to "Stalindar" or "Stalinodar". Stalin rejected this suggestion. During World War II, the Soviet State Committee of Defence and

19656-494: The expanding city in the later 19th century and was developed into a public municipal park in 1878. The suburban Savyolovsky Rail Terminal was built in 1902. In January 1905, the institution of the City Governor, or Mayor , was officially introduced, and Alexander Adrianov became Moscow's first official mayor. When Catherine II came to power in 1762, the city's filth and the smell of sewage were depicted by observers as

19845-552: The feat. The 2019–20 season ended three weeks early due to restriction surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic , so Ovechkin and Boston Bruins forward David Pastrňák were named co-winners of the Rocket Richard Trophy , with each having 48 goals at the time. The 2020–21 season would mark the first time in Ovechkin's NHL career where he would not score at least 30 goals and having finished with 24 goals mainly due to

20034-404: The final eight teams play elimination rounds to determine the gold and silver medals, and the two losing teams of the semi-finals play for the bronze medal. Each team is allowed to have 20 skaters ( forwards and defensemen ) and two or three goaltenders, all of whom must be citizens of the country they represent. The women's tournament used a qualification format similar to the system used for

20223-671: The first one to shake Ovechkin's hand if he were to do so. He is famous for his deadly one-timer , which he typically fires from the left faceoff circle, an area known as his "office." In August 2006, New York Rangers forward Jaromír Jágr expressed admiration for Ovechkin's goal scoring productivity by quoting "All his goals, they are not flukes. Most of the time, he beats guys one-on-one, then you get your highlight". Teammate Brooks Orpik said of his one-timer to The Washington Post in October 2014, "You know it's going there, and you still can't stop him." Ovechkin proves "the exception rather than

20412-451: The first round before getting swept in the second round by the fifth-seeded Tampa Bay Lightning. On 3 December 2011, Ovechkin played in his 500th NHL game in a 3–2 OT win over the Ottawa Senators and ended the game with an assist recorded on a goal by Troy Brouwer . On 23 January 2012, Ovechkin received a three-game suspension for a hit on Zbyněk Michálek of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The following day, Ovechkin announced he would not attend

20601-474: The first round of the 2019 playoffs by the seventh-seeded Carolina Hurricanes, despite having a 3–2 series lead at one point. On 30 November 2019, in a 5–2 win over the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena , Ovechkin recorded his 24th career hat trick which passed Jari Kurri for 10th most hat tricks in NHL history. In that same game, he also recorded an assist on a goal by Tom Wilson for

20790-495: The first time since 2003 with a stronger supporting cast that included winger and countryman Alexander Semin , rookie center Nicklas Bäckström and defenceman Mike Green as the team finished third in the East. He scored the game-winning goal in his NHL playoff debut with less than five minutes left in game 1 of the first round of the 2008 playoffs on 11 April against the sixth-seeded Philadelphia Flyers . He scored nine points (four goals and five assists) in all seven games against

20979-474: The first to celebrate with Ovechkin afterwards, commented that he did not wish to join in the pre-meditated celebration. Ovechkin himself was unapologetic, and said about Don Cherry in particular, "He's going to be pissed off for sure...I love it!". After using and endorsing CCM equipment for most of his career, Ovechkin made the move to Bauer Hockey in August 2011 following a decline in his point production in

21168-574: The following season, Ovechkin arrived in Washington two weeks early and predicted: "We're not gonna fucking suck this year [ sic ]." Ovechkin broke many NHL and Capitals' records during the 2017–18 season . On 7 October 2017, he became the first player in 100 years with back-to-back hat tricks to start the season against the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens, respectively. As well, on 25 November, Ovechkin passed Bondra as

21357-415: The foot by a teammate's wrist shot during an 26 October 2006 practice in Vancouver, he "crumpled to the ice and had to be helped to the locker room." Exhibiting no ill effects in practice the next day, Ovechkin famously told reporters, "I'm okay; Russian machine never breaks." Late in the 2008–09 season , Ovechkin garnered some criticism over his exuberant after-goal celebrations. On 28 February 2009, during

21546-502: The fourth seed in the East and eventual Stanley Cup champions, in seven games. Ovechkin finished the 2009 playoffs with a postseason career-high 21 points (11 goals, 10 assists) in all 14 games. He went on to win the Hart and Pearson trophies for the second consecutive year, becoming the seventeenth player in league history to win the Hart multiple times. Just over a month into the 2009–10 season , Ovechkin suffered an upper-body injury during

21735-401: The fourth-seeded Capitals defeated the fifth-seeded New York Islanders in seven games in the first round before getting defeated in the second round in seven games by the Presidents' Trophy -winning New York Rangers (despite the Capitals initially having a 3–1 series lead before the eventual 4–3 series defeat). On 7 November 2015, shortly into the 2015–16 season , in the second period of

21924-442: The franchise leader in goals scored. It was also his 15th multi-goal game of the season, none of which was a hat trick. Ovechkin finished the 2014–15 season with 81 games played and 53 goals, 28 assists and 81 points. His 53 goals once again led the league in goal scoring, capturing his 5th Rocket Richard Trophy as a result. In the 2015 playoffs , Ovechkin recorded five goals and four assists for nine points in all 14 playoff games as

22113-575: The fringe. Summer dachas are being converted into year-round residences, and with the proliferation of automobiles there is heavy traffic congestion. Multiple old churches and other examples of architectural heritage that had been demolished during the Stalin era have been restored, such as the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour . In 2010s Moscow's Administration has launched some long duration projects like

22302-464: The game. Three days later, on 16 January, he scored a goal that veteran hockey reporter Bill Clement called "one of the greatest goals of all time." Knocked down by Phoenix Coyotes defenceman Paul Mara and sliding on his back facing away from the net, Ovechkin was able to hook the puck with one hand on his stick and slide it into the net past goalie Brian Boucher for his second goal of the night. It became referred to as "The Goal." Auston Matthews ,

22491-573: The games without a medal, Ovechkin scored five goals in the tournament, including the game-winner against Canada's Martin Brodeur , eliminating Canada from the tournament. Ovechkin was the only player not on the Swedish (gold medal winners) or Finnish (silver medal winners) teams to be named to the all-tournament team. At the 2006 IIHF World Championships , Ovechkin scored six goals and three assists (nine points) in seven games before Russia lost 4–3 to

22680-700: The gold medal. He played two more years at the World Juniors, as well as once more at the World U18 Championships. Ovechkin's first senior tournament was the 2004 World Championship , and he also played in the World Cup that year. Ovechkin has also played for Russia at the Winter Olympics in 2006 , 2010 , and 2014 . Overall, Ovechkin has represented Russia at thirteen World Championships and three Olympics in his career, winning

22869-546: The government, and from 20 October the city was declared to be in a siege. Its remaining inhabitants built and manned antitank defenses, while the city was bombarded from the air. On 1 May 1944, a medal "For the defence of Moscow" and in 1947 another medal "In memory of the 800th anniversary of Moscow" was instituted. German and Soviet casualties during the battle have been debated, as sources provide different estimates. Total casualties between 30 September 1941, and 7 January 1942, are estimated to be between 248,000 and 400,000 for

23058-785: The greenest cities in the world. The city's name is thought to be derived from the Moskva River . Theories of the origin of the name of the river have been proposed. The most linguistically well-grounded and widely accepted is from the Proto-Balto-Slavic root * mŭzg -/ muzg - from the Proto-Indo-European * meu - "wet", so the name Moskva might signify a river at a wetland or marsh. Its cognates include Russian : музга , muzga "pool, puddle", Lithuanian : mazgoti and Latvian : mazgāt "to wash", Sanskrit : májjati "to drown", Latin : mergō "to dip, immerse". In many Slavic countries Moskov

23247-426: The ice or by their performance on the ice. For example, In a game against the Montreal Canadiens on 19 November 2018, early in to the 2018–19 season , Canadiens goaltender Carey Price made a sprawling stop on Ovechkin’s signature left circle slapshot in the dying seconds of the third period with both teams tied 4–4 and once he covered up the puck he skated over to Price and applauded him for his effort in denying him

23436-415: The ice, although Gleason later returned during the game, while Ovechkin did not. Ovechkin was assessed a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct at the time. Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau commented that Ovechkin's style of play was at times "reckless." The suspension was Ovechkin's first of his career, causing him to forfeit $ 98,844.16 in salary. On 5 January 2010, Ovechkin was named captain of

23625-427: The latter forms came the modern Russian name Москва , Moskva , which is a result of morphological generalization with the numerous Slavic ā -stem nouns . The form Moskovĭ has left traces in other languages, including English: Moscow ; German : Moskau ; French : Moscou ; Portuguese : Moscou, Moscovo ; and Spanish : Moscú . Moscow has acquired epithets , such as The Third Rome . Moscow

23814-417: The leading Moscow weather station is situated, is 156 metres (512 feet). Teplostan Upland is the city's highest point at 255 metres (837 feet). The width of Moscow city (not limiting MKAD ) from west to east is 39.7 km (24.7 mi), and the length from north to south is 51.8 km (32.2 mi). Moscow serves as the reference point for the time zone used in most of European Russia , Belarus and

24003-531: The league in scoring with 65 goals, 47 assists and 112 points in all 82 games played, Ovechkin captured both the Art Ross Trophy and the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy in 2007–08. It was the first time in 41 seasons that a left-winger led the NHL in points since Bobby Hull led the league with 97 points in 1965–66 . Ovechkin helped lead a rejuvenated Capitals team back to the Stanley Cup playoffs for

24192-489: The league. He was in a tough situation. He's a warrior and good for him, his organization, his family and the game of hockey." The Capitals' morning skate ritually begins with Ovechkin "sprinting around the rink, a solo lap to the sound of sticks tapping from his teammates." Once he's made it all the way around, the rest of the team jumps onto the ice to join him. Ovechkin is known as a durable player, losing little time to injuries, illnesses, or suspensions. After being struck on

24381-516: The lockout ended with a new CBA. Ovechkin played his first game with the Capitals in the 2005–06 season opener on 5 October 2005, scoring two goals against goalie Pascal Leclaire in a 3–2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets . On 13 January 2006, in Anaheim , Ovechkin scored his first career hat trick against Jean-Sébastien Giguère of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to help Washington win

24570-463: The majority of Moscow's indigenous population. The first known reference to Moscow was in 1147, as a meeting place of Yuri Dolgorukiy and Sviatoslav Olgovich . At the time it was a minor town on the western border of Vladimir-Suzdal Principality. In 1156, Dolgorukiy fortified the town by creating a wooden wall; this structure became the Kremlin. In the course of the Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus' ,

24759-420: The mark of Hall of Fame goaltender Bill Durnan (first four seasons from 1943–44 through 1946–47) and became the first player in NHL history voted a First Team All-Star in each of his first five seasons. Ovechkin also recorded 10 points (five goals and assists) in the 2010 playoffs as the Capitals would lose the series in seven games to the eighth-seeded Montreal Canadiens , surrendering a 3–1 series lead in

24948-523: The medieval Muscovy state). He began fighting the Tatars, enlarged the territory of Muscovy, and enriched his capital city. By 1500 it had a population of 100,000 and was one of the largest cities in the world. He conquered the far larger principality of Novgorod to the north, which had been allied to the hostile Lithuanians. Thus he enlarged the territory sevenfold, from 430,000 to 2,800,000 square kilometres (170,000 to 1,080,000 square miles). He took control of

25137-595: The men's tournament. The top six teams in the IIHF Women's World Ranking after the 2008 Women's World Ice Hockey Championships received automatic berths into the Ice Hockey event. Lower ranked teams had an opportunity to qualify for the event. Teams ranked 13th and below were divided into two groups where they played in a first qualification round in September 2008. The two group winners from the round advanced to

25326-508: The moat. Books were sold on this bridge and stone platforms were built nearby for guns – "raskats". The Tsar Cannon was located on the platform of the Lobnoye mesto . The road connecting Moscow with St. Petersburg, now the M10 highway , was completed in 1746, its Moscow end following the old Tver road, which had existed since the 16th century. It became known as Peterburskoye Schosse after it

25515-422: The most 50-goal seasons in NHL history. At 36 years and 215 days of age, he is the oldest player to score 50 goals in a season; the previous oldest was Johnny Bucyk , doing so at the age of 35 years and 308 days. He ended the 2021–22 season with 50 goals, 40 assists and 90 points in 77 games played as the Capitals finished the season as the eighth and final seed in the Eastern Conference. Ovechkin would also record

25704-538: The most powerful cities in Russia. In 1380, prince Dmitry Donskoy of Moscow led a united Russian army to an important victory over the Mongols in the Battle of Kulikovo . Afterward, Moscow took the leading role in liberating Russia from Mongol domination. In 1480, Ivan III had finally broken the Russians free from Tatar control, and Moscow became the capital of an empire that would eventually encompass all of Russia and Siberia , and parts of many other lands. In 1462 Ivan III became Grand Prince of Moscow (then part of

25893-472: The name is reconstructed as * Москы , * Mosky , hence it was one of a few Slavic ū -stem nouns . As with other nouns of that declension, it had been undergoing a morphological transformation at the early stage of the development of the language, as a result, the first written references in the 12th century were Московь , Moskovĭ ( accusative case ), Москви , Moskvi ( locative case ), Москвe/Москвѣ , Moskve/Moskvě ( genitive case ). From

26082-428: The playoffs by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman . On 6 December 2018, Ovechkin became the fastest player in NHL history and ninth overall to take 5,000 shots on goal, reaching that mark in 1,031 career games. Marcel Dionne, the previous holder of the record, required 184 more games than Ovechkin. He scored the 21st hat trick of his NHL career in a 6–2 win over Detroit Red Wings on 11 December, passing Pavel Bure for most by

26271-424: The population doubled from 100,000 to 200,000, and it expanded beyond its ramparts in the latter part of the century. In the middle of the 17th century, 20% of Moscow suburb's inhabitants were from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania , being driven from their homeland by Muscovite invaders. By 1682, there were 692 households established north of the ramparts, by Ukrainians and Belarusians abducted from their hometowns in

26460-402: The population grew tenfold over the remaining duration of the Russian Empire, reaching 1.8 million by 1915. The 1770–1772 Russian plague killed up to 100,000 people in Moscow. By 1700, the building of cobbled roads had begun. In 1730, permanent street lights were introduced, and by 1867 many streets had a gaslight. In 1883, near the Prechistinskiye Gates, arc lamps were installed. In 1741 Moscow

26649-444: The power struggles of the principality with lasting success, siding with his brother Dmitry in his bid for the rule of Novgorod . From 1283 he acted as the ruler of an independent principality alongside Dmitry, who became Grand Duke of Vladimir . Daniel has been credited with founding the first Moscow monasteries, dedicated to the Lord's Epiphany and to Saint Daniel. Daniel ruled Moscow as Grand Duke until 1303 and established it as

26838-403: The preliminary round, a team plays one game against every other team in its own group (for a total of 18 preliminary round games). Following the completion of the preliminary round, the teams are ranked 1 through 12 based on the results. The top four ranked teams receive byes to the quarterfinals, with the remaining eight teams playing for the remaining four quarterfinal positions. Following that,

27027-401: The process. On 1 January 2011 , Ovechkin and the Capitals took part in the New Year's Day NHL Winter Classic , facing the Pittsburgh Penguins. While Ovechkin did not score any points in his first career outdoor game, the Capitals won 3–1. On 9 March, in a 5–0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers , Ovechkin recorded his 600th career point with an assist on a goal by Eric Fehr . On 5 April against

27216-433: The puck to teammate T. J. Oshie rather than score the easy hat trick for himself since he had scored twice earlier in the game. "[Oshie asked] 'Why did you pass me the puck?'" Ovechkin said. "But he was so wide open and I try to give him pass. Save mine for next time." Ovechkin has also been recognized for showing opposing players respect and admiration for either returning to their team after overcoming hard obstacles off

27405-450: The record for most 50-goal campaigns with nine. He has won the Hart Memorial Trophy for most valuable player three times (in 2008, 2009, and 2013), and the Lester B. Pearson Award / Ted Lindsay Award for best player as voted on by the National Hockey League Players' Association three times (2008, 2009, 2010). In 2018 , Ovechkin won the Stanley Cup for the first time, and was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for most valuable player in

27594-512: The rule when it comes to success" on one-timers, which "can be very difficult to pull off," involving as they do "taking a hard pass and timing a shot perfectly, when the puck may be rolling or on end, while also aiming at a small net, particularly from far distances." In October 2014, Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said of Ovechkin’s playing style, "He’s a guy that not only uses his skill set, but his physicality, that’s what sets him apart. He’s willing to go to those areas and has one of

27783-517: The season being shortened due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Ovechkin signed a five-year, $ 47.5 million contract extension with the Capitals on 27 July 2021. He scored his 28th career hat trick , tying Marcel Dionne and Bobby Hull for sixth most in NHL history, on 26 November against the Florida Panthers . On 31 December, Ovechkin scored his 275th power play goal against the Detroit Red Wings, breaking Dave Andreychuk 's all-time record. On 15 March 2022, Ovechkin scored his 767th career NHL goal in

27972-477: The season ended, he was also awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy for the third time in his career. After the 2012–13 season, Ovechkin made history by being named to both the first and second NHL All-Star teams . He had switched to playing right wing that entire season and thus was voted the first All-Star team's right wing, but because some voters were not aware of the change, they voted for him at his traditional left wing position, thereby also landing him at left wing on

28161-506: The season on 3 March against the Boston Bruins , Ovechkin notched his 50th, 51st and 52nd goals of the campaign for his fourth career NHL hat trick and to hit the 50-goal mark for the second time in his career. Later that month, on 21 March, Ovechkin scored his 59th and 60th goals of the season against the Atlanta Thrashers , becoming the first NHL player to score 60 goals in a season since Mario Lemieux and Jaromír Jágr in 1995–96 and 19th player overall. Four days later, on 25 March against

28350-415: The season, good for third-most points in the NHL with only Tampa Bay Lightning stars Steven Stamkos and league leader Martin St. Louis ahead. In the 2013 playoffs , Ovechkin was limited to a goal and an assist for two points in all seven games as the third-seeded Capitals would lose in the first round in seven games by the sixth-seeded New York Rangers and giving up a 3–2 series lead during the series. After

28539-455: The season, the Dynamo would go on to win the Gagarin Cup , albeit after the NHL lockout concluded and Ovechkin and Bäckström returned to North America in January 2013. However, Ovechkin and Bäckström still received championship rings from the team. In the abbreviated 2012–13 season, Ovechkin led the NHL in goal scoring with 32, earning him his third Rocket Richard Trophy. He also added 24 assists to give him 56 total points in all 48 games played of

28728-442: The second All-Star team. On 20 December 2013, in a game against the Carolina Hurricanes , Ovechkin scored into an empty net for his 400th career goal. He became the sixth-fastest player to ever reach that mark, getting it in 634 games, one fewer than Pavel Bure . At the conclusion of the 2013–14 season , Ovechkin had the strange distinction of winning the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy , scoring 51 goals, while going −35, one of

28917-407: The second player, tied with Bobby Hull , to win the NHL's goal scoring title seven times. Besides his 49 goals, Ovechkin also recorded 38 assists for 87 points in all 82 contests played as the Capitals finished as the second seed in the Eastern Conference. During the 2018 playoffs , Ovechkin scored 15 goals, 12 assists and 27 points in all 24 games averaging 20:44 of ice time per game. After defeating

29106-429: The second qualification round, where the teams ranked seventh through twelfth joined them. The eight teams were split into two divisions of four teams and each team played three preliminary games. Following the completion of the preliminary round, the top two teams from each division advanced to the medal round and competed in a playoff to determine the gold medalist. The other four played classification games. Each team

29295-419: The sediments from which the specimen was taken to be Kimmeridgian , but, according to more recent studies, they were formed in the Tithonian age of the Jurassic period. Albian foraminifera and ammonites also known from the Moscow deposits. Fossils of various organisms are on display in Moscow museums, including the Orlov Museum of Paleontology and Vernadsky State Geological Museum . According to

29484-399: The series against the Penguins to clinch his first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 13 seasons. After defeating the fourth-seeded Penguins in round two, Ovechkin would face another main rival of his generation in Tampa Bay Lightning centre and captain Steven Stamkos in the Eastern Conference Finals. Ovechkin and the Capitals defeated the top-seeded Lightning in seven games and reached

29673-410: The seventh-seeded Columbus Blue Jackets in six games in the first round, the Capitals would once again meet their longtime rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins, in the second round for the third straight season; headed by Penguins centre and captain Sidney Crosby, Ovechkin's main rival for the greatest player of their generation. Ovechkin assisted on Evgeny Kuznetsov's game six overtime goal for 4–2 defeat in

29862-432: The sole collector of taxes for the Mongol rulers, making Moscow the capital of Vladimir-Suzdal . By paying high tribute, Ivan won an important concession from the Khan . While the Khan of the Golden Horde initially attempted to limit Moscow's influence, when the growth of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania began to threaten all of Russia, the Khan strengthened Moscow to counterbalance Lithuania, allowing it to become one of

30051-439: The suburbs it is about −8.3 °C (17.1 °F). The temperature difference between the centre of Moscow and nearby areas of Moscow Oblast can sometimes be more than 10 °C (18 °F) on frosty winter nights. Recent changes in Moscow's regional climate, since it is in the mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere, are often cited by climate scientists as evidence of global warming , though by definition, climate change

30240-445: The team's all-time leader in hat tricks with his 20th of his career. On 21 October, in a game against the Detroit Red Wings , Ovechkin surpassed Jaromír Jágr for most regular season overtime goals with the 20th of his career. On 25 January 2018, Ovechkin recorded his 500th career assist on a Nicklas Bäckström goal in a 4–2 win over the Florida Panthers . On 12 March, Ovechkin scored his 600th career goal against Connor Hellebuyck of

30429-410: The time, Helminen was the only ice hockey player to compete at six Olympics , but Selänne would join the group during the 2014 Sochi Olympics ). For the first time, Olympic Games were played on a narrower NHL-sized ice rink, measuring 61 m × 26 m (200 ft × 85 ft), instead of the international size of 61 m × 30 m (200 ft × 98 ft). By permitting

30618-409: The top-seeded New York Rangers in seven games. He would end the playoffs with five goals and four assists for nine points in all 14 games. During the lockout in the first half of the shortened 2012–13 season , Ovechkin went to play in the KHL and re-joined Dynamo Moscow with his teammate Nicklas Bäckström. In 31 games for the team, Ovechkin scored 19 goals, 21 assists and 40 points. At the end of

30807-424: The tournament because of concerns that the league's players could get injured or become exhausted. Several players were injured during the 2006 Winter Olympics and were forced to miss NHL games. Gary Bettman addressed the issue saying that several format changes were being discussed, so that the tournament would be "a little easier for everybody." Qualification for the men's tournament at the 2010 Winter Olympics

30996-508: The tournament lead. His team received the silver medal after losing the gold medal game to Canada on 4 January, and Ovechkin was named the Best Forward of the tournament as well as selected to the tournament All-Star team. In 2005, Ovechkin played in his first IIHF men's World Championships . He scored five goals and three assists, landing eighth in the top scorers list and sharing third place in goal scoring. In 2006, Ovechkin played in his first Winter Olympic Games. Although Russia came away from

31185-453: The tournament. Because of the Olympics, the ice surface and boards needed to be devoid of advertising and some seating areas needed to be converted to press rows for the duration of the games. Following negotiations in the National Hockey League 's collective bargaining agreement , an agreement was reached allowing NHL participation in both the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics . Some NHL team owners opposed having their players participate in

31374-436: The urban area covers 5,891 square kilometers (2,275 sq mi), and the metropolitan area covers over 26,000 square kilometers (10,000 sq mi). Moscow is among the world's largest cities , being the most populous city in its entirety in Europe, the largest urban and metropolitan area in Europe, and the largest city by land area on the European continent. First documented in 1147, Moscow grew to serve as

31563-467: The use of existing venues without rink modifications, this was expected to save $ 10 million (CAD) in construction costs and allow more spectators to attend games. This was also the first Olympics in which the four- official system, with two referees and two linesmen, was used during the men's tournament. The NHL began using the two-referee system in the 1998–99 season , while the IIHF first started using it in its major men's championship tournaments in

31752-434: The wake of Russia's failures in the Crimean War in 1855–56, confidence in the ability of the state to maintain order in the slums eroded, and demands for improved public health put it back on the agenda. In 1903 the Moskvoretskaya water supply was completed. In November 1917, upon learning of the uprising in Petrograd , Moscow's Bolsheviks began their uprising . On 2 November (15), 1917, after heavy fighting, Soviet power

31941-401: The world's largest urban economies . The city is one of the fastest-growing tourist destinations and is one of Europe's most visited cities . Moscow has the sixth-highest number of billionaires of any city. The Moscow International Business Center is one of the largest financial centers in the world and features the majority of Europe's tallest skyscrapers . Moscow was the host city of

32130-422: The year and finishing third overall in league scoring. Ovechkin has won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy , awarded annually to the NHL's leading goal scorer, an NHL-record nine times, first doing so in 2007–08 , when his 65 goals and 112 points also earned him the Art Ross Trophy for most points scored. He holds the NHL record for most 40-goal seasons with thirteen and co-holds, with Mike Bossy and Gretzky,

32319-404: Was 10, his brother Sergei died of a blood clot following a car accident. Ovechkin had a youth hockey game the next day, which his parents insisted he play in. Ovechkin credits his elder brother Sergei for introducing him to, and encouraging him to pursue hockey. When he scores, Alex will often kiss his glove and point to the sky in a salute to his brother. Ovechkin established his reputation within

32508-414: Was 38.2 °C (100.8 °F) at the VVC weather station and 39.0 °C (102.2 °F) in the center of Moscow and Domodedovo airport on 29 July 2010, during the unusual 2010 Northern Hemisphere summer heat waves . Record high and average temperatures were recorded for January, March, April, May, June, July, August, November, and December in 2007–2022. The average July temperature from 1991 to 2020

32697-418: Was also awarded his third consecutive Kharlamov Trophy , named after Soviet hockey star Valeri Kharlamov and presented by Sovetsky Sport newspaper, as the best Russian NHL player as voted by other Russian NHL players. On 27 October 2008, shortly into the 2008–09 season , Ovechkin returned home to Moscow to visit his ailing grandfather, missing only the second game of his career up to that point, snapping

32886-638: Was also named to the NHL first All-Star team , the first rookie to receive the honor in 15 years. After the season ended, Ovechkin received the Calder Memorial Trophy , awarded to the NHL's best rookie. He was also a finalist in his rookie season for the Lester B. Pearson Award . EA Sports made him one of the cover athletes for NHL 07 . In the 2006–07 season , Ovechkin appeared in his first NHL All-Star Game in on 24 January 2007. He completed his second NHL season with 46 goals, 46 assists and 92 points in all 82 games. On 12 October 2007, Ovechkin scored his 100th NHL goal against goaltender Henrik Lundqvist in

33075-406: Was built in 1505–08 and augmented to its present height in 1600. A trading settlement, or posad , grew up to the east of the Kremlin, in the area known as Zaradye . In the time of Ivan III, the Red Square , originally named the Hollow Field appeared. In 1508–1516, the Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin (Novy) arranged for the construction of a moat in front of the eastern wall, which would connect

33264-435: Was built in 1958 at 37 kilometres (23 miles) from the city centre to the north-west, along with the Leningradskoye Shosse , and incorporated as one of Moscow's administrative okrugs . Moscow State University moved to its campus on Sparrow Hills in 1953. In 1959 Nikita Khrushchev launched his anti-religious campaign . Of Moscow's fifty churches operating in 1959, thirty were closed and six demolished. On 8 May 1965, due to

33453-425: Was buried in the cemetery of the St. Daniel Monastery. Moscow was stable and prosperous for many years and attracted refugees from across Russia. The Rurikids maintained large landholdings by practicing primogeniture , whereby all land was passed to the eldest sons. By 1304, Yury of Moscow contested with Mikhail of Tver for the throne of the principality of Vladimir . Ivan I eventually defeated Tver to become

33642-446: Was erected around the city, including an area on the right bank of the Moscow River. As an outermost line of defense, a chain of strongly fortified monasteries was established beyond the ramparts to the south and east, principally the Novodevichy Convent and Donskoy , Danilov , Simonov , Novospasskiy , and Andronikov monasteries, most of which now house museums. From its ramparts, the city became poetically known as Bielokamennaya ,

33831-421: Was established in Moscow. Vladimir Lenin , fearing invasion, moved the capital back to Moscow on 12 March 1918. The Kremlin once again became the seat of power, political centre of the new state. With the change in values imposed by communist ideology , the tradition of preserving cultural heritage was broken. Independent preservation societies, even those that defended only secular landmarks, were disbanded by

34020-418: Was named a finalist for the Mark Messier Leadership Award for his contributions both on and off the ice during the regular season, which was eventually awarded to Nashville Predators defenceman and captain Shea Weber . In the second round of the 2016 playoffs after defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in six games in the first round, the Capitals lost the series to the Pittsburgh Penguins in game six after

34209-419: Was named to the Russian national team for the 2004 World Cup of Hockey , making him the youngest player to play in the tournament. Also at 19, Ovechkin was named captain of the junior team in the 2005 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships . The tournament, lasting from 25 December 2004 to 4 January 2005, was Ovechkin's third and last. At the conclusion of the tournament, he had collected seven goals, tied for

34398-405: Was obvious," she said. "In a child, it's clear immediately. He was very active and walking and curious." Early on, Ovechkin did not have a television growing up, but learned of the NHL and its biggest stars like Wayne Gretzky , Mario Lemieux , and Sergei Fedorov through videotapes that showed highlights of goals, hits, and fights. His favorite NHL team growing up was the San Jose Sharks and also

34587-427: Was officially named Новая Москва (New Moscow). Moscow is situated on the banks of the Moskva River , which flows for just over 500 km (311 mi) through the East European Plain in central Russia, not far from the natural border of the forest and forest- steppe zone. 49 bridges span the river and its canals within the city's limits. The elevation of Moscow at the All-Russia Exhibition Center (VVC), where

34776-438: Was paved in the 1780s. Petrovsky Palace was built in 1776–1780 by Matvey Kazakov . Between 1781 and 1804 the Mytischinskiy water pipe (the first in Russia) was built. When Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812, the Moscovites were evacuated. The Moscow fire was principally the effect of Russian sabotage. Napoleon's Grande Armée was forced to retreat and nearly annihilated by the devastating Russian winter. In 1813, following

34965-434: Was renamed Canada Hockey Place during the event because corporate sponsorship is not allowed for an Olympic venue. The games were played on a North American ice surface which is four metres narrower than international rinks. The games of the tournament forced the Vancouver Canucks to play the longest road trip in NHL history, playing 14 games over six weeks, from 27 January to 13 March, so that GM Place could be used for

35154-551: Was so highly regarded that the Florida Panthers attempted to draft him in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft in the ninth round, even though his birthday was two days after the cut-off (15 September 1985). Rick Dudley , the general manager of the Panthers, claimed the pick was legitimate, claiming that Ovechkin was old enough with leap years taken into consideration. Due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout , Ovechkin remained with Dynamo for one more season. He recorded 27 points in 37 games in 2004–05, while missing nearly two months of play because of

35343-433: Was structured around the 2008 IIHF World Ranking . The top nine teams in the World Ranking after the 2008 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships received automatic berths into the Olympics, while all remaining member federations could attempt to qualify for the remaining three spots in the Olympics. In October 2008, the four lowest entrants played off for a spot in the first round. Teams then ranked 19th through 30th played in

35532-454: Was surrounded by a barricade 40 kilometres (25 mi) long, the Kamer-Kollezhskiy barrier, with 16 gates at which customs tolls were collected. Its line is traced today by several streets called val ("ramparts"). In the early 19th century, the Arch of Konstantino-Elenensky gate was paved with bricks, but the Spassky Gate was the main front gate of the Kremlin and used for royal entrances. From this gate, wooden and stone bridges stretched across

35721-451: Was the first NHL jersey he received. He was two years old when he first picked up a hockey stick. Whenever a hockey game came on television, he would drop whatever he was doing, refusing to allow his parents to change the channel. In early childhood, he moved with his family to a tall high-rise building surrounded by a "crumbling neighborhood" on the outskirts of Moscow. There he attended public school #596, infamous for military discipline and

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