Alexander Ovechkin’s wife Nastasiya and their two sons, Ilya and Sergei, are cheering on the Washington Capitals this weekend.
Nastasiya, 31, took her two sons to watch the Capitals play against the New York Islanders on April 6th at the UBS Arena. She later posted a photo on her Instagram Story of Ilya, 4, and Sergei, 6, enthusiastically supporting their father during the game. Additionally, she shared a cute video of Sergei closely observing the game from the family’s box seats.
At the game, Alex, 39, managed to break a significant NHL record that was previously thought to be unattainable, a record that had been established by Wayne Gretzky. Alex became the NHL’s top goal scorer of all time with his 895th career goal, surpassing the iconic 64-year-old Gretzky, also known as the Great One, who was there to witness this historic moment from the stands.
The NHL released footage of the occasion, capturing the moment when Alex scored the goal and then joyfully dived onto the ice in celebration. Following his incredible milestone, he was engulfed by his teammates in a jubilant on-ice celebration.
“What a day, huh?” Alex told the crowd right after he scored his goal. “It’s a team sport, and without my boys, the whole organization, the fans, the trainers, coaches, I would never stand there and obviously I would never pass the Great One. So, fellas, thank you very much. We did it, boys, we did it!”
Ovechkin scored his 894th career goal on Friday, April 4, against the Chicago Blackhawks, where Gretzky was also in attendance. (Gretzky scored his 894th career goal on March 29, 1999.)
“I said two years ago that when Alex gets close to my record, I’ll be here,” Gretzky told reporters, per People, on Friday. “… I said it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when, when he breaks it.”
He continued, “Right now, I hope Alex enjoys it. And he deserves all the credit and the accolades that he’s getting.”
As for Alex and Nastasiya’s boys, Sergei and Ilya are frequently in the stands watching their dad play hockey. However, the couple has previously shared they won’t be pushing their kids to follow in their dad’s NHL footsteps.
“[Sergei] really likes hockey, but we never forced him to play,” Nastasiya told Hello! Magazine Russia in 2022. “Dad, of course, played a big role here. [Sergei] has been going to matches since he was a baby [and] it’s very interesting for him. He is a sporty boy: he loves football, tennis is easy for him, and, of course, his grandmother [Alex’s mother, Olympian Tatyana Nikolaevna Ovechkina] plays basketball with him.”
