As a youngster Kirill Marchenko so admired Alexander Ovechkin that he wore the same gear, shot with the same stick and still has the tinted visor.
asserted
he → admire → visor
“Titan blade, same yellow laces, I just copied his style,” the Maple Leafs winger said Monday about the longtime Washington Capitals captain.
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winger → copy → captain
“It was an unbelievable feeling when I met him a couple of times.”
The 41-year-old Ovechkin, the NHL’s goal-scoring king, announced on social media Monday that this season would be his last.
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season → meet → media
“Everybody knows that he’s one of the best players of all time,” said Marchenko.
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Marchenko → know → time
He’s meant a lot to me and all Russian players.”
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He → mean → me
“Pretty incredible career,” added Leafs forward Brandon Duhaime, a teammate of Ovechkin the last two seasons before he joined Toronto as a free agent.
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he → add → agent
“I thought he had a few years left.
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he → think → years
It was a true privilege to be able to see that live and play such a small part of that incredible career.
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It → see → career
Duhaime was a Capital when Ovechkin surpassed Wayne Gretzky’s career scoring record of 894 goals on April 6, 2025.
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Ovechkin → surpass → April
“The media coverage was crazy, every game was crazy once he came within five goals,” said Duhaime.
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Duhaime → come → goals
“The crowds that were following, the people in the locker room.
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that → follow → room
“It was amazing to see the way he handled himself.”
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he → see → himself
Duhaime’s one regret: he never assisted on any of Ovechkin’s goals when they were teammates.
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they → assist → goals
“We only had one two-on-one,” said Duhaime.
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Duhaime → have → one
He’s a big supporter of Russian president Vladimir Putin, vilified by many for the invasion of Ukraine.
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He → ’ → Ukraine
Duhaime said his politics never entered the room.
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politics → say → room
“Nothing like that,” said Duhaime.
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Duhaime → say → that
“He came to the rink every day and made you feel part of the team, made you feel special.
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you → come → team
The six-foot-three, 239-pound forward has spent his entire career with Washington, winning the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2005-06, the Hart Trophy as MVP three times and leading the NHL in goals nine times.
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forward → spend → goals
He was playoff MVP in 2018 when he led the Caps to the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history.
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he → lead → history
There has always been a joy in the way Ovechkin plays, and celebrates, but his politics suggest there is something darker.
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politics → play → way
There has always been a joy in the way Ovechkin plays, and celebrates, but his politics suggest there is something darker.
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politics → play → way
He entered the season with 929 goals and will try and build on that number in his final campaign.
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He → enter → campaign
“I’m not 20 years old,” he said later Monday after news came out, adding this was the right time to announce his decision, two days before Washington’s home opener.
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this → ’m → opener
“I want to play with my kids when they’re growing up.
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they → want → kids
I want to be healthy enough to do that kind of stuff.”
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I → want → stuff
Toronto fans will get a chance to see him live twice more during the regular season as Washington comes to town Dec. 21 and March 29, 2027.
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Washington → get → town
“When you’re talking about one of the all-time greats, guys like that make their own mark, unique in their own way,” said Leafs centre John Tavares.
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Tavares → talk → way
“The game’s probably never seen that type of player.
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game → see → player
He played through you, he would play around you, he would play on top of you.
“And when the puck was on his stick, really anywhere from the red line in, it had a chance to go in.”
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it → play → chance
The Aporia
