Alex Ovechkin got into his first game action since signing a one-year extension with the Washington Capitals for the 2026-27 season.
Ovechkin was one of many Russian and Belarusian NHL stars to participate in Artemi Panarin and Mikhail Sergachev’s annual “Match of the Year” charity game at SKA Arena in Saint Petersburg on Saturday.
The Washington Capitals captain, drafted to Team Sergachev earlier this month, skated on a line with his Caps teammate Aliaksei Protas and Nashville Predators first-round pick Yegor Surin.
The Great 8 scored his team’s sixth goal in what ended up being a 10-9 win over Team Panarin.
Alex Ovechkin scores goal in 2026 Match of the Year
Ovechkin roofed a shot past KHL goaltender Nikita Serebryakov, finishing off a sweet feed from Surin. Protas made sure to pick up the goal puck afterward.
Other notable goal scorers in the game included Sergachev, Panarin, Matvei Michkov, Kirill Marchenko, Vasily Podkolzin, Alexander Nikishin, Dmitri Simashev, Matvei Gridin, and Pavel Mintyukov.
Michkov scored the prettiest of all the goals, picking the puck up behind the net and completing the Michigan goal that he has failed to score several times in the NHL.
Matvei Michkov scores Michigan goal
After the two teams played to a 9-9 draw after 60 minutes, they went to a shootout to decide a winner, where the first 10 shooters were unable to beat Serebryakov or San Jose Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov.
Ovechkin was one of the first five shooters for his team, firing his attempt far over the top of the net.
Alex Ovechkin’s missed shootout attempt
Protas eventually was chosen to go for Team Sergachev and won the game with a slick move, beating Serebryakov through the five hole. He was the only shooter to score as Askarov shut the door on Team Panarin’s final attempt.
Aliaksei Protas scores shootout-winning goal
Before all of the festivities began, Ovechkin arrived at the all-star-laden matchup by getting literally driven out onto the ice sheet by a car — an extension of the commercial he filmed to promote the game earlier in the summer.
Alex Ovechkin driven out onto the ice in car
Ovechkin was accompanied to the game by his hockey-obsessed son, Sergei, who joined him in the locker room and on the bench ahead of puck drop.
Sergei sat in his dad’s lap as the elder Ovechkin chatted with Roman Rotenberg, general manager of the Russian national team and SKA CEO and vice president.
After the game, the official attendance at SKA Arena was announced to be 20,853. All proceeds from the event will go toward the rehabilitation and support of children and adults with cerebral palsy and other motor disabilities.
