Alex Ovechkin was the center of attention at Dynamo Moscow\u2019s VTB Arena on Friday.<\/p>\n
Ovechkin was celebrated by his former club for breaking the NHL\u2019s all-time goals record ahead of his impending return to the United States early next month. To mark the occasion, Dynamo raised a banner to the rafters of the arena, featuring an image of Ovechkin in a Washington Capitals jersey, his signature, and the number 895 \u2014 his record-breaking goal.<\/p>\n
The legendary winger broke the record<\/a> previously held by Wayne Gretzky against the New York Islanders on April 6.<\/p>\n Ovechkin, donning a personalized no. 8 Dynamo jersey with the captain\u2019s \u2018C,\u2019 was also gifted a golden stick for his achievement. Dynamo\u2019s players gathered around center ice during the ceremony, and the team\u2019s wolf mascot fired off a flamethrower.<\/p>\n Ovechkin\u2019s wife, Nastya Ovechkina, his two sons, Sergei and Ilya, his mother, Tatyana Ovechkina, and his father-in-law, Kirill Shubsky, were all in attendance to watch the celebration. Nastya filmed the banner raising from the stands<\/a> and was gifted a gold Dynamo medal and pin.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are Dynamo players,\u201d Tatyana Ovechkina told RIA Novosti\u2019s Andrey Senchenko<\/a>, per a translation by Google Translate. \u201cIt 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.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are all Dynamo players. I am very grateful to those who organized all this; we are all very happy with this day. Of course, we feel how proud Russia is of us, proud of Sasha. But the most important thing is that I am proud of my son.\u201d<\/p>\n The ceremony took place as part of an event titled \u201cDynamo at the Start,\u201d where Ovechkin also helped hand out bronze medals to players who helped Dynamo reach the Semifinals of the Gagarin Cup playoffs last season. Dynamo then squared off with Ak Bars in KHL preseason action.<\/p>\n Ovechkin was brought up through Dynamo\u2019s academy and played the first four years of his professional career with the club in what was then called the Russian Super League.<\/p>\n He returned to play for the team during the 2012-13 NHL lockout and has held an advisory role with them since 2010.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The event is one of the final stops for Ovechkin back in his native Russia before he rejoins the Capitals for training camp in the fall. Ovechkin is slated to jump on the ice one more time before then, \u00a0playing in Pavel Datsyuk\u2019s \u2018Magic Game\u2019 in Yekaterinburg on August 30<\/a>.<\/p>\n S\/T to @HockeyNewsHub<\/a><\/p>\n \t