On Friday, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin was honored by his former club Dynamo Moscow at VTB Arena. Ovechkin was celebrated for breaking the NHL’s all-time goals record.

During the ceremony, Dynamo raised a banner to the rafters of the arena, featuring an image of Ovechkin in his Capitals jersey, his signature, and the number 895. Ovechkin also wore a personalized No. 8 Dynamo jersey with the captain’s “C,” and was gifted with a golden stick.

Ovechkin’s Monumental Achievement

The 39-year-old winger scored goal No. 895 back on April 6 against the New York Islanders to surpass Wayne Gretzky for the record. Ovechkin now has 897 goals entering the 2025-26 NHL season and could become the first player in league history to reach 900.

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Ovechkin’s Family was in Attendance

Many were in attendance at VTB Arena to celebrate Ovechkin’s remarkable achievement, including his family and current Dynamo players. Ovechkin was joined by his wife, Nastya Ovechkin, his two sons, Sergei and Ilya, his mother, Tatyana Ovechkina, and his father-in-law, Kirill Shubsky.

“We are Dynamo players,” Tatyana Ovechkina told RIA Novosti’s Andrey Senchenko, per a translation by Google Translate. “It is very honorable and pleasant that Sasha was so well honored at the Dynamo stadium. There were so many fans, and they all love Sasha so much. Sasha was happy. He started here; this is his home. He is very proud to be a Dynamo player.”

Ovechkin Handed Out Bronze Medals

The ceremony celebrating The Great 8 was part of an event titled, “Dynamo at the Start.” Additionally, Ovechkin handed out bronze medals to Dynamo players who reached the Gagarin Cup Playoffs semifinals last season.

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Ovechkin’s Moscow Hockey Roots

Before he joined the NHL, Ovechkin grew up playing with Dynamo Moscow, and even spent time with them during the 2004-05 lockout. He then returned to Dynamo for the team’s 2012-13 season during the second NHL lockout of his career.

Ovechkin to Return to the Capitals Soon

The Great 8 will soon return to D.C. and rejoin the Capitals for training camp in the fall. In the meantime, Ovechkin will take part in one more event in Russia: Pavel Datsyuk’s ‘Magic Game’ in Yekaterinburg on August 30.

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