Ovechkin: Leaving to DC on September 7th

 

Ovi is spending a good time with team Russia



The reporter was asking the usual questions, one question was kind of funny. When Ovie said that his Red team lost and they had to do a choo-choo train in the center of the ice



the reporter asked, "Are you ashamed?", sounding like an Elementary school teacher. Ovie said, "What's that?" and when she repeated her question he almost laughed, but tried to be serious and answered unemotionally, "No".

Anyhow the most interesting answer comes at the end where Ovie says he is flying to DC on September 7th.

Yeay!






Photos by SovSport.ru

Update: Since Ovie is flying West he'll be in DC almost at the same time as he'd be leaving Moscow, like if he leaves at 9am, he'll be in DC around 10-11am. He'll probably go to the arena the same day.

Photos by Elena Rusko, Sportbox.ru

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Semyon Varlamov and real estate

 By Alexei Shevchenko and Alexander Lyutikov, Aug. 30, 2009:

Semyon Varlamov wants to acquire some real estate in Washington, DC.

"Very nice city, I like it," he explained. "I want to buy a house there when I make it to a team."

"Buy the White House," someone had advised him.

Semyon, not catching about what house they were talking, absently nodded, "There are many good houses there. Could be a white one."

The American Realtors will soon be surprised.

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Ovechkin: I won't be at the cooking show

 By Alexei Shevchenko and Alexander Lyutikov, Sports.ru, Aug. 30, 2009:
Alexander Ovechkin had the usual ping-pong with reporters at the entrance to the hotel Aerostar.

When you were leaving the gym you mocked the injury. Alex Troshchinsky recently told us that this is a bad omen.
I do not believe in omens.

In early summer you became the NHL 2K10 cover.
Yes, they presented me with the disk. I played two minutes and that's all.

New York Times reported that you would take part in the cooking show.
I won't be able to.

And if you could what dish would you make? Vodka, pancakes?
Well, you would probably like it.

I don't drink unfortunately.
Well, really sorry.

You will have the next season without Viktor Kozlov and Sergei Fedorov.
What can you do? Life is an onerous thing.

And Donald Brashear has left. Does it bother you?
It's not that I am worried, it's just that the management of the team thought it would be wise to give way to young, promising players.


Photo by Valeri Sharifulin, ITAR-TASS

Well, who in your team is a young, promising enforcer?
Semin. Have you seen how he fights?

Thank you, it was the best joke of the day.
Not at all. If seriously, again, I can say sorry that Brash will not be with us.

Will you have to fight now?
Yeah, and lose another twenty-two teeth.

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Red vs. White

 SovSport.ru reports about the hockey camp of Russian Olympic Team.

Yesterday Megasport arena at Khodynka in Moscow held an open workout of Russian Olympic team. Eight thousand spectators saw the contours of the team that will play in Vancouver 2010. The Coaches Bykov and Zakharkin put on ice six quintets of hockey players divided into Red and White teams.

Russia's squad started the early Sunday morning in the gym. The hockey players got to arena at 11 am. Exactly an hour later they came out and into the bus and returned to the Aerostar hotel.



Alexander Ovechkin left the arena limping on his left leg. He frowned and groaned and hung on the shoulders of Fedorov and Nikulin. The reporters shuddered, was Alexander the Great injured? But Ovechkin immediately straightened up, smiled and waved his hand to all!

Red Team
Semyon Varlamov,
Denis Grebeshkov - Konstantin Korneev,
Vitaliy Proshkin - Oleg Tverdovsky,
Alexei Zhitnik - Alexei Tereshchenko,
Alexander Semin - Sergei Fedorov - Alexander Ovechkin,
Alexei Kovalev - Sergei Zinoviev - Viktor Kozlov,
Maxim Afinogenov - Nikolai Kulemin - Evgeny Artyukhin.

White Team
Alexander Eremenko,
Andrei Markov - Vitali Atyushov,
Sergei Zubov - Dmitri Kalinin,
Vitaly Vishnevsky - Ilya Nikulin,
Alexander Frolov - Evgeni Malkin - Ilya Kovalchuk,
Alexei Morozov - Pavel Datsyuk - Danis Zaripov,
Oleg Saprykin - Konstantin Gorovikov - Alexander Radulov.

Photo by Mikhail Fomichev, RIA Novosti, Aug. 30, 2009


Photo by championat.ru


Photo by championat.ru

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The date of Mr. Ovechkin’s appearance will be either Sept. 8 or 9.

 H/t to Japer's Rink

The arrival of Mr. Ovechkin, and a tentative mid-September gig with actress Milla Jovovich, marks the continuation of a series called “Who’s the host?” in which celebrities transform into ad-hoc chefs. The series originated at the original Mari Vanna kitchen in St. Petersburg.


Vodka is served in granyoniy stakan, a faceted Soviet-era glass that could be found in nearly every family kitchen during the Soviet Union.

The drinks also divert from Russian tradition. There are 12 types of infused vodkas, including beet, watermelon and tarragon with lemon. Fresh juices include a chalky potato drink that solidifies if it’s not consumed in several minutes, and a cabbage juice that tastes similar to a shot of wheatgrass.

Perverts...

Source: Cooking Is His Goal

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Alex Ovechkin's Reebok clothing line launch in Russia

 



Gazeta.ru, Aug. 20, 2009:

Alexander, when did you decide to become a designer?
Long time, three years ago I decided to make the "Ovechkin style" clothing line. I wanted to create a comfortable and easy clothes for people.

Who is this clothing collection for?
I think it is for everyone, young and old. We decided not do a collection with a lot of images, we stayed on plain ones and understandable to everyone. This is a sportswear after all.

Is the time spent in the United States changed you somehow? Your father said that you have matured significantly.
I am the same as I was before.

Do you have any new hobbies or interests?
Lately I am getting into American football, I like it. Before I couldn't understand it, but now everything has changed, I root for the Washington team.

Is there in United States something that makes you uncomfortable?
I would say that I live there quite comfortably. Sometimes I miss Russian-speaking people.

Is there anything else beyond hockey that you find time for?
Yes, I go to the movies, meet with friends (smiles).

Where do you keep all your trophies you have won in recent years? And which ones are most valuable?
I keep them at home, there's enough space. Unfortunately I don't have the option of having an entire room for them though. So far the most valuable trophy for me is the gold medal from the World's Championship.

The national team of Russia is preparing for the Olympics, do you have any thoughts about it? The pre-Olympics camp is coming soon.
So far I am not guessing anything or I think much about it. As Vyacheslav Bykov, the head coach of our team, said, don't relax too much, be prepared for any changes.

Are there players who you miss and would like to see?
I have not seen the roster so do not even know. In fact, there were a lot of new faces last year.

How the NHL think about the fact that many Russian players began to return to their homeland?
If they want to return, let them go back, the NHL doesn't care. Everyone has their own priorities.

Alexander Ovechkin's Dad Michael Victorovich was pleased with the success his son. "Everything has been organized great and I have a positive attitude to this idea of his. Although Sashka left Russia, he still is a responsive and good natured guy. He has matured a lot, when he was leaving he was so skinny compared to now," said Mikhail Ovechkin.

Are you able to see your son often?
Yes, of course, we moved to the United States as well.

Soon Alexander's birthday is coming. Usually kids ask their parents what kind of gifts they want and your son can now buy anything himself. Can you be able to surprise him with something?
Usually our Mom takes care of it, she is good at it.



Alex Ovechkin's Reebok clothing line launch in Russia




Ovi was late to show up at the Lokomotive sports arena. But as you know the stars are not late, they are delayed.



Ovechkin arrived as impressive as he is on the ice, in a huge pink limousine accompanied by two bikers. However when the car door has opened there was not only the well-known hockey player Alexander Ovechkin, but his childhood friend Olympic champion in judo Dmitry Nosov, and a lot of girls from pop groups Tootsie and Reflex.



The girls changed to Ovechkin's designer clothes and played some hockey.





Ovechkin: "My vacation is over, now I will have a pre-olympic camp at the end of August and then I will fly to Washington".

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Ovechkin visits Semin's Krasnoyarsk (update)

 AutoRadio, Krasnoyarsk, Aug. 19, 2009:

Semin: "We had spent most of the time on Krasnoyarsk sea, very little in the city. We went to Biryusa river. He liked the the nature and the mountains. Siberia is Siberia, you can't find a scenery like that in Moscow".



Ovie has been visiting Semin and Siberia for 5 days and left to Moscow yesterday. Now he plans to go to Mordovia, the motherland of his Grand Dad and his Mom, where he has friends and relatives.

Update:

For a a few days Ovechkin and Semin were in Krasnoyarsk and then at the beginning of the week they went to Krasnoyarsk sea to sail the yacht while many residents of Khakassia and Krasnoyarsk region paniced that the dam of Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station could break. In an interview with "Auto Radio" Alexander Ovechkin admitted that he was delighted to what he had seen, and even decided to stay two days longer than he originally planned. "I came to see my friend Alexander Semin. I've got the best impressions, I actually was surprised by Krasnoyarsk region, its beauty. we sailed the yacht, it was very cool, very very cool. Have I heard about Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station? Yes, we did. Semin said that the water level was going up, much higher than it was, but I didn't notice that."

At first I didn't pay attention and didn't translate about the hydroelectric station disaster. Here's what Wikipedia says about hydroelectric Chernobyl:

At 8:15 local time (00:15 GMT) on 17 August 2009, the station suffered a catastrophic "pressure surge". During repair work a sudden change in water pressure caused a water pipe to burst resulting a transformer explosion and flooding in the engine and turbines rooms. At least 17 workers have been found dead while 57 people are still listed as missing. Three of the station's ten turbines were destroyed in the accident, and three others were damaged.



Power generation from the station ceased completely following the incident, with the resulting blackout in residential areas being alleviated by diverting power from other plants. Aluminium smelters in Sayanogorsk and Khakassia were completely cut off from the grid before power supplies were replaced using alternate power sources. The power supplies were fully restored by 19 August 2009. Although smelters continue to work in the normal mode, Rusal warned that in longer term it may lose up to 500,000 tons of aluminum output due to the power shortage, and called to accelerate the construction of the Boguchanskaya hydroelectric power station to replace generating capacities. It is expected that electricity prices will have to increase after the disaster. The plant is expected to restart its operations within 1 to 1½ months, while replacement of damaged turbines will take up to four years.

The accident caused an oil spill as at least 40 tonnes of transformer oil spilled, which spread over 80 km (50 mi) downstream of Yenisei. The spill killed 400 tons of cultivated trout in two riverside fisheries; damage to wildlife, as of end of 19 August 2009 has not yet been assessed. On 19 August 2009 at 19:00 by local time, the 15 km (9.3 mi) long spill has reached Ust-Abakan where it was cordoned off with floating barriers and chemical sorbents.

Trading in RusHydro shares at the Moscow Interbank Currency Exchange was suspended for two days. After resuming trading on 19 August 2009, the share drop 11.4%. At London Stock Exchange the share price drop more than 15%. It is expected that RusHydro's business losses will amount to US$100 million. According to Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko the rebuilding of the engine room alone would cost $1.2 billion. The power plant was insured by Russian insurance company ROSNO for $200 million.

The cause of the accident is unclear. Defect of turbines and rise of pressure in the pipes are speculated to be possible causes. According to Alexander Toloshinov, a former general director of the plant, the accident was most likely due to a "manufacturing defect" in a turbine. In 1998, the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry claimed that the "station construction [had] dangerously changed" and that the dam wall may not withstand the repeatedly increasing pressure of annual spring floods. In 2004, BBC Monitoring quoted a Russian TV news report as saying the dam operators had been forced to construct an extra water intake wall to alleviate spring flood pressure. However, it is not yet known if these past safety issues contributed to the August disaster.

And of course Ovie was right there, on other side of the dam sailing with Semin when it happened. :-)

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Ovechkin's interview from Novogorsk

 By Pavel Lysenkov, August 8, 2009:

Ovechkin impressed right at the entrance to the training facility. More precisely, not Ovechkin himself, but his parked white BMW.



Imagine that, Ovi's bimmer had red pads with the sign "Ovechkin, # 8".


"This was a present for me in the States when I got the car," later explained Washington's forward. "I have brought this Bimmer from abroad in a container."

Ovechkin surprised even more, he had white and blue shorts with the number 24. Why this number? In honor of Alexander Frolov? Or Dynamo's rookie Johan H.? "I just took the first shorts at my mother's basketball club Dynamo," smiled Ovechkin.





After a run Alex went to the gym where he sweated for more than an hour. During the breaks we made several pictures and discussed the potential roster of the Russian Olympic team in Vancouver.




Ovechkin finished training with a long 10 km cross country run through the valleys and hills of Novogorsk. After that we sat at Dynamo training facility and talked.


How are you spending your summer? Where have you been, as always in your beloved Turkey?
Yes, you guessed well. We had a good company, played water polo, partied. Who was there? My friends, no hockey players so I won't tell the names. Why do I so often go on vacation to Turkey? I like the country, that's it. But for a variety I change the hotels every time... I also flew to Czech Republic, but was there on transit, stayed there for only two days.

You went to Sochi as well. You even got assigned some position there.
I've become the Ambassador of winter Olympics which will be held in our country in 2014.

What does this position mean? An honoured wedding VIP guest?
Why so? They could choose anyone to wedding VIP guest. I also have certain duties and powers which I must perform in connection with the Olympics-2014.

Still very vague... Are you going to represent PR for Sochi in the world? Have you become a face of a Winter Games?
Again, not quite faithful wording. Look, I play in North America. Every day I am being approached by reporters. If they want to ask me about Sochi, please! I'll take time to explain everything, about the city, about our country. Maybe calm down someone's fears.

The western media says that Sochi is not ready for the Olympics, that NHL won't participate, that the construction is not going well...
Oh, drop it! If you believe all the rumors your head may spin. Please don't pay attention to it. Do you remember any Olympics where someone played hockey at the unfinished arena? Where they competed in the biathlon at the route where there was no snow? Everything will be fine with Sochi, don't worry.

You visit them every year ...
Yes, I do.

Do you see if it is booming?
I do not inspect the facilities. But I know that Russia will hold an excellent Olympics.

This summer when you were in Sochi, you even played soccer.
Exactly right. In the first half I was goaltending, in the second half I played in the field and scored two goals by the way. I enjoyed playing in the field more than goaltending. Although when we play soccer in the small arena I often play a goalie. But I played for the first time on the big field and got lost a bit in the big goals, didn't look good.

You were recently honored in one of the Moscow nightclubs.
Yes, the party was awesome! Thanks to organizers, my managers, Ari Zakarian and Kostya Selinevich. I was struck by how many people came, and it was a beautiful and spectacular event... My friends, hockey players Sasha Semin, Serega Fedorov, Ilya Bryzgalov came too.

Were you a DJ?
Yes, along with Syoma (Semin) we played dance music that we love and sometimes the same music is played in the Washington's locker room.

How long have you already been training?
It's been one and a half week.

Is it hard to get into it?
I thought it would be even worse. But as it turned out, I was in good physical condition.

Are you missing your favorite business?
Yes, a bit. I miss the smell of ice, although I haven't started skating yet. I miss the fitness room. I miss a feel in your body when your muscles pleasantly hurt after workout. To be honest, I wake up every morning and think, shoot, can I skip the workout? But when I get to Novogorsk the passion for training erupts again.

In late August you will train at Khodynka, which will host the pre-Olympic training camp.
Yes, exactly. But what exactly we will do there, I do not know. Better ask the coaches, Bykov and Zakharkin.

You can't step on the ice, perhaps, you don't have the right. Otherwise somebody have to pay a huge insurance policy.
Give me a break, what insurance? Is there any difference how I'll go on the ice, with a team of Russia or with a team of Dynamo juniors?

There's a difference, NHLPA canceled the insurance payments to hockey players who could get injured at the pre-Olympic camps. God forbid if you fell on ice at Khodynka and get seriously injured, then you'll lose several millions of dollars.
Alright, you shouldn't fall then. Skate carefully. Do you know a tale where a mother would say to a pilot, "dear son, fly low and slow?"

No kidding, but German NHL players refused to go to their pre-Olympic camp.
I don't know about it. And my opinion is this: I do not see anything dreadful if the national team will get together and train for a few days. We won't fight with each other, we won't slaughter each other. We'll work out in the gym, we'll get out on the ice in front of our fans. These camps are not even for the training per se, but for the team's atmosphere, for camaraderie.

What are your feelings Vancouver Olympics? Do you hurry the time, want it as soon as possible?
Why? Life is going fast anyway. There is no need to rush it, let things go their course.

You are young, why your life is going fast?
Give me a break! It was like yesterday, a 16-year-old Ovechkin was training in Novogorsk, taking his first steps with Dynamo. And now I meet people who worked here back then. They smile, shake hands and ask, "Sasha, how old are you now?" And this fall I will be 24 years old preparing for the fifth season in the NHL...

One can say you are the Washington's veteran.
Yes, life flies in such a way that there's no time to even look back.

I recently worked at the world championship on water sports and talked to the British jumper. I said, "Your London 2012 is not far off. Is it hard when everybody is expecting a gold?". And he replies, "I don't feel any pressure, it will be fun."
I agree. For me any tournament, even the Olympics is fun. But in your head there is a thought that it might be just one chance in your life to take Olympic gold at the Winter Games. Especially now, when the Russian national team has the roster that is stronger than ever. If you won't take an advantage of this unique situation, you've got to be an idiot. So I feel a certain burden of responsibility.

What do you think about Hudler case? NHL and KHL pulled the Czech forward forth and back like in a tug of war.
It's not my problem. But Hudler didn't have a contract. Why he did not have the right to go to Dynamo?

And in the future, would it be good for NHL and KHL to sign the truce? Or rather, from the hockey players perspective, they only win from that war? If they don't pay you much in the NHL, you are going into Russia, and vice versa.
If each player will run after easy money, can you imagine what will happen? You need to think about the game first.

When are you going back to America?
I will be in Russia till the beginning of September. And I'll go back to Washington when the training camp will open.

How do you spend your free time here?
I have very few free time moments. Besides training there are a bunch of meetings, different events. On Wednesday, for example, along with Kovalchuk, Zhitnik and Saprykin I went to meet team Russia's sponsors. A chock-full of things to take care of.

You are also invited to a different TV shows. For example, to "Who wants to be a Millionaire?" show.
I am still not sure if I'd agree.

Is it irrelevant for Ovechkin the multimillionaire?
No, it's not about it. It's interesting, I won't argue. But they could ask such questions that few people can answer. I do not want to look like moron. It's one thing when I am asked about my life, hockey... And what if they ask, "What is the diameter of planet Mars?", what can I answer? However, there is still a chance that I will participate in that show.

How do you feel about tattoos?
Fine (Ovechkin was alerted). Why do you ask?

When you were working out I noticed that you have a tattoo on the back with two [Chinese] characters. I haven't seen them before...
Yes, I've put it recently.

And what do they mean, these characters?
I won't tell. It's personal.

But the reporters in the Wachington locker room will see it, you walk where in a towel!
So what? Let them see. And let them may ask what it is.

And what will you say?
I'll say that this is the main mystery of the XXI century. Let the journalists solve the puzzle so they won't be bored during the summer, when there is no hockey.

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Ovechkin: Dear son, fly low and slow

 By Pavel Lysenkov, Aug. 7, 2009, SovSport.ru:

How long have you already been training?
One and a half week.

Is it hard to get into it?
I thought it would be even worse. But as it turned out, I was in good physical condition.

Are you missing your favorite business?
Yes, a bit. I miss the smell of ice, although I haven't started skating yet. I miss the fitness room. I miss a feel in your body when your muscles pleasantly hurt after workout. To be honest, I wake up every morning and think, shoot, can I skip the workout? But when I get to Novogorsk the passion for training erupts again.

In late August you will train at Khodynka, which will host the pre-Olympic training camp.
Yes, exactly. But what exactly we will do there, I do not know. Better ask the coaches, Bykov and Zakharkin.

You can't step on the ice, perhaps, you don't have the right. Otherwise somebody have to pay a huge insurance policy.
Give me a break, what insurance? Is there any difference how I'll go on the ice, with a team of Russia or with a team of Dynamo juniors?

There's a difference, NHLPA canceled the insurance payments to hockey players who could get injured at the pre-Olympic camps. God forbid if you fell on ice at Khodynka and get seriously injured, then you'll lose several millions of dollars.
Alright, you shouldn't fall then. Skate carefully. Do you know a tale where a mother would say to a pilot, "dear son, fly low and slow?"

No kidding, but German NHL players refused to go to their pre-Olympic camp.
I don't know about it. And my opinion is this: I do not see anything dreadful if the national team will get together and train for a few days. We won't fight with each other, we won't slaughter each other. We'll work out in the gym, we'll get out on the ice in front of our fans. These camps are not even for the training per se, but for the team's atmosphere, for camaraderie.

The full interview in the next issue of Sovetsky Sport.

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Bäckis, Foppa and Zäta

 According to Dä ä bare å åk (Heal the foot, Lord!), Nicklas Backstrom played a friendly game on Wednesday for "Ice Breakers" against Danish "All Star" team on a line with Peter Forsberg and Henrik Zetterberg.

Ice Breakers won 10:6. It was a charity game to collect money for sick children.

"And, of course, Foppa, who recorded two assists, was on everyone's lips". It's too early to say if Forsberg could return to play on a high level of professional hockey again, but it's nice to hear that Backstrom is having fun back in Sweden.

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Alex Beninati-Ovechkin

 Russian Ice Hockey Federation, Aug. 4, 2009:

On Tuesday, August 4, 2009, the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RIHF) management held a meeting with the leaders of newly created Junior Hockey League (JHL).

The Chairman of the JHL Vladimir Yurzinov, executive director Dmitry Efimov, RIHF President Vladislav Tretiak and CEO Valery Fesyuk discussed a number of issues that will increase the attractiveness of the tournament in the future among the junior teams and the professional skills level of junior hockey players. For example, some agreements were reached on the qualitative improvement of the coaching staff. On order to do this it was decided to create a series of the coaching seminars.

With regard to the preparation of junior players, the course is taken on the development of modern physical hockey. Vladislav Tretiak will have hockey clinics with young, promising goalkeepers, the best junior players will receive trophies at the end of the season. However, the work with junior players will not be restricted solely to the athletic part. There will be a series of anti-doping lectures for the junior players.

To receive international experience RIHF plans to hold talks with the Czech, Canadian and Finnish Ice Hockey Federations to carry out friendly games during the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver in February 2010.

And finally the continuity of generations in domestic hockey will be manifested in the opening game of the Junior Hockey League, which will be held on September 4th at CSKA arena, where "The Red Army Club" will play Moscow Dynamo. According to the organizers the outstanding players of former USSR national team, several times World and Olympic champions Vladimir Yurzinov and Vladislav Tretiak will serve as color commentators together with their young followers, the brightest stars of modern hockey, Evgeni Malkin and Alexander Ovechkin.

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