ARLINGTON, VA — Alex Ovechkin welcomed his two sons to the ice Sunday morning, where they got a lesson in one of their dad’s most memorable skills.
Sergei and Ilya Ovechkin joined their father for a post-practice skate at MedStar Capitals Iceplex, accompanied by teammates Aliaksei Protas, Tom Wilson, Justin Sourdif, Dylan Strome, and Anthony Beauvillier. Between working on more conventional skills, the Ovechkin children practiced several of the Great Eight’s most iconic goal celebrations.
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Hot Stick Celly
Ilya and Sourdif kicked off the antics with Ovi’s hot stick celly, performing it after five-year-old Ilya scored a goal. Sourdif was just six when the elder Ovechkin debuted the hot stick in March 2009, but he grew up a Capitals fan, cheering for Ovi from his hometown in Surrey, British Columbia. Nearly seventeen years later, Sourdif helped demonstrate the now-famous move to his childhood idol’s son.
Bellyflop Celly
Not to be outdone, Sergei replicated a more recent Ovechkin celly moments later. Sergei scored a goal of his own before skating away from the net and diving on his stomach, mirroring the belly flop that followed his father’s record-breaking 895th NHL goal last spring.
Unlike the premeditated hot stick, Ovechkin’s belly flop — since immortalized on rally towels, shirts, pucks, and more — was a happy accident.
“Ice was bad today, so I fell,” Ovechkin said afterward. “I’m pretty sure it’s a pretty cool moment. It was cool.”
Sergei, however, appeared to perform an intentional flop, clad in his usual “Ovi Jr.” jersey and yellow skate laces.
Ovechkin’s children have spent plenty of time on Capitals ice this season, especially as their father approaches what could be the end of his career. In November, both Sergei and Ilya took part in warmups at Capital One Arena ahead of a ceremony celebrating Ovechkin’s 900th goal and 1,500th game played.
Sergei later played a game of his own at Capital One Arena, skating as one of the Mites on Ice on January 7. Several Capitals players stayed out during intermission to watch, including Ovechkin, John Carlson, Wilson, and Strome.
If the Ovechkin children are this good at cellies now, one can only imagine what they’ll be able to cook up by the time they’re draft-eligible in 2036 and 2038.
