Attack Washington Capitals and three-time world hockey champion Alexander Ovechkin expressed hope that he would still be able to participate in the Olympic Games.
Ovechkin is 38 years old. As a member of the Russian national team, he participated in 13 World Championships, three Olympic Games (2006, 2010, 2014) and two World Cups (2004, 2016). The Russian missed the 2018 and 2022 games due to a ban from the National Hockey League (NHL), which did not allow its hockey players to participate in the tournament.
— How long have you been in Russia when you started preparing for the season?
“I started preparing about ten days ago. I’m getting into the rhythm little by little, I’m in no rush, because there’s still a lot of time before the start of the championship, I’m going as planned.
— You feel that at home you are first associated with the national team, that first you are a three-time world champion, and then everything else.
“I didn’t think about it from that point of view. In general, I hope that I will still be able to play at the World Championships and the Olympic Games,” Ovechkin was quoted as saying by the press service of the Russian Hockey Federation (RFH).
The 2026 Olympics will be held from February 6 to 22 in Italy (Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo). The NHL had previously announced that it would release players from the league for the 2026 and 2030 Olympics.
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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.
