Alex Ovechkin won’t be leaving Russia without being honored again for breaking the NHL’s all-time goals record. After already taking part in a ceremony ahead of the “Match of the Year” last month, Ovechkin will receive more plaudits at a celebration planned by his former team, Dynamo Moscow.
The event will take place on August 22 at the team’s VTB Arena in Moscow, Russia. Ovechkin was just at the multi-sport complex to participate in the ceremonial first kick before FC Dynamo Moscow’s soccer match against FC Krasnodar.
“Next Friday, at 4:00 pm, together with you, we will honor the legendary hockey player and famous Dynamo player – Alexander Ovechkin,” Dynamo’s Instagram post reads, per a Meta translation. “The alumnus of the white-blues, the Stanley Cup winner, and the NHL record holder will be the guest of honor at our hockey festival!”
The team says that invitational tickets to the event, titled “Dynamo at the start,” will be made available starting on August 18.
Ovechkin broke the record previously held by Wayne Gretzky by scoring his 895th career goal against the New York Islanders on April 6. He finished the season with 897 career goals.
The 39-year-old winger was brought up through Dynamo’s academy and played the first four years of his professional career with the club in what was then called the Russian Super League. Ovechkin returned to play for the team during the 2012-13 NHL lockout and has held an advisory role with them since 2010.
Dynamo’s president, Viktor Voronin, previously said the team is ready to negotiate another return for Ovechkin as soon as his contract with the Washington Capitals expires next summer.
Ovechkin will attend the event, play in Pavel Datsyuk’s ‘Magic Game’ in Yekaterinburg on August 30, and then reportedly return to the DC area in early September ahead of training camp.
