Alex Ovechkin had an eventful night out on Friday.
Ovechkin took the stage with rappers Basta and Guf, joining them in front of over 70,000 fans at Grand Sports Arena in Luzhniki. Ovi’s cameo came during their performance of “My Game” (“Моя игра”), which closed out the rappers’ first major joint concert.
Russian outlet Sport-Express reported that Ovechkin received a loud ovation as he ambled out and greeted the artists with hugs. He also danced.
“Moscow! Make some noise for our friend, Alexander Ovechkin,” Basta said, per Sport-Express and a translation by Google Translate.
“Guys! Moscow! Luzhniki! Russia!” Ovechkin said. “Nastya, I love you!”
Coming out to “My Game” was no coincidence, as the song has long been synonymous with Russian hockey. And for special reasons.
The song, commercially released in 2006, first became closely associated with Alexei Cherepanov — the highly-regarded Avangard prospect who died at age 19 after collapsing during a KHL game in 2008. The New York Rangers draft pick reportedly loved the song, and highlight/tribute videos frequently used it as a soundtrack. When Avangard raised Cherepanov’s sweater to the rafters, the team played the song, and Basta later dedicated it to the hockey player during a performance in Omsk.
“When I hear this song, I immediately think of Alexei,” Alexander Burmistrov once said per Sports.ru.
“This song was written a long time ago, but I still listen to it,” added Kirill Kaprizov to Match TV in 2019.
Ilya Kovalchuk chose the Russian hit as his goal song both with the Los Angeles Kings and Washington Capitals, “calling it a good song, very motivating, with meaning.”
The tune has even made playlists with the Russian national team and for KHL Avangard in 2020, which the league called an “unsurprising” choice.
Ovechkin has long been a fan of the two rappers, naming them as two of his favorites in a November 2020 appearance on the podcast “Sychev Podcast and Denis Kazansky.”
“I listen to what I like,” Ovechkin said per Google Translate. “I’m a music lover. Eminem, Tupac. Of our own, I like Guf, Kravts, and I’m crazy about Buzova. Among Russian pop, I’d single out Basta.”
Ovechkin even made an appearance on Basta’s podcast “Point-Blank Question” in August 2023 where he talked about fighting, his goals chase, and other topics.
Friday’s cameo was not the first time Ovechkin has taken the stage at Luzhniki Stadium. He also did so during a Ruki Vverkh concert in 2022, singing the song “My Baby” with the audience and dedicating it to his wife, Nastya.
While Ovechkin is best known as the greatest goal-scorer in NHL history, he can also be considered a musician himself, dropping some bars on Sasha Belyi’s “Champion” over a decade ago.
“I have a hockey stick in my hands, and rap music in my headphones. Greetings straight from Washington. Together with Sanya Bely, for every champion,” Ovechkin rapped.
The Capitals actually paid homage to Ovechkin’s rap days ahead of his 1,500th game last October . As players arrived at Capital One Arena, Ovechkin’s teammates wore shirts that featured a screenshot of the superstar forward from the music video.
Ovechkin’s appearance at the Basta and Guf concert comes in what are the final days of his summer vacation. The Capitals captain will reportedly return to North America on September 10th, where he’ll begin preparations for his 22nd NHL season.
Ovechkin signed a one-year contract extension with the Capitals in July. The deal could earn him as much as $9 million.
