Former Dynamo Moscow and Buffalo Sabers forward Maxim Afinogenov believes that the Russian forward of the Washington Capitals Alexander Ovechkin earned an invitation to the NHL All-Star Game.
Earlier, the NHL announced a roster of 32 hockey players for the All-Star Game – one from each team. They were selected from the league’s hockey operations department. Canadian forward Tom Wilson was selected by Washington. Among the Russians, the list of 32 included Tampa forward Nikita Kucherov, Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin and Minnesota forward Kirill Kaprizov. 12 other players will be selected through fan voting.
— The NHL didn’t invite Ovechkin, Washington’s top scorer this season? To be honest, I didn’t know about it. It’s not clear, to be honest. I think Alexandre should be there automatically, even if he’s not the top scorer at the moment. Can he still receive an invitation? He will definitely be called up,” quotes Championship Affinogenov.
According to journalist Tariq El-Bashir, the 38-year-old Russian decided to skip the All-Star Game in order to rest and better prepare for the second part of the season.
Ovechkin ranks second on the NHL’s all-time goalscoring list with 830 goals, 64 behind Canadian Wayne Gretzky.
The NHL All-Star Game will take place on February 3 in Toronto.
Championship
Source : MatchTV
I’m Emma Smith, a dedicated journalist and avid storyteller. I have been writing for news websites for the past 5 years, reporting on hockey news and delivering in-depth analysis of the sport. In my current role as Author at Athletistic, I write about hockey events from around the world to keep followers up-to-date with what’s happening in the sport.
