Trophy name	Calder Memorial Trophy
Established	1936–37 NHL season
Holder	Jeff Skinner
Awarded	Rookie of the Year in the National Hockey League}}

The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season. The voting is conducted by members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association at the conclusion of each regular season to determine the winner.

History

The trophy is named in honour of Frank Calder, the former President of the National Hockey League from its inception in 1917 to his death in 1943. Although ''Rookie of the Year'' honours were handed out beginning in 1932–33, the Calder Trophy was first presented at the conclusion of the 1936–37 NHL season. After Calder's death in 1943 the trophy was re-named the Calder Memorial Trophy.

In 1990, Sergei Makarov of the Calgary Flames became the oldest player, at age 31, to win the Calder, even though he had played for the "unofficially" professional team HC CSKA Moscow (the "Red Army" team) in the Soviet Union. After that season, the rules for awarding the Calder were amended so that players could only be eligible if they were 26 years old or younger by September 15 of their rookie season.

To be eligible for the award, a player cannot have played any more than 25 games previously in any single season, nor have played in more than six games in each of two separate preceding seasons in ''any'' major professional league. The latter fact was perhaps most prominent when in 1979–80, first-year phenom Wayne Gretzky was not eligible to win the Calder Trophy despite scoring 137 points (the previous rookie record at the time being 95), because he had played a full season the previous year in the World Hockey Association. The trophy has been won the most times by rookies from the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have won it on nine occasions.

The voting is conducted at the end of the regular season by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, and each individual voter ranks their top five candidates on a 10-7-5-3-1 points system. Three finalists are named and the trophy is awarded at the NHL Awards ceremony after the playoffs.

Winners

+Positions key	C	Centre (ice hockey)>Centre	LW	Winger (ice hockey)>Left Wing
D	Defenceman (ice hockey)>Defence	RW	Winger (ice hockey)>Right Wing
G	Goaltender

Season

Winner	Team	Position	Age
		Detroit Red Wings	C	25
		Montreal Maroons	C	25
		New York Americans	LW	22
			G	23
		Toronto Maple Leafs	C	21
			C	24
		Boston Bruins	G	24
		New York Rangers	LW	25
		Montreal Canadiens	C	19
		New York Rangers	RW	19
		Toronto Maple Leafs	RW	19
		Toronto Maple Leafs	C	20
		Toronto Maple Leafs	G	25
		New York Rangers	C	25
		Toronto Maple Leafs	RW	21
		Detroit Red Wings	C	27
		New York Rangers	RW	22
		Boston Bruins	G	24
		Detroit Red Wings	G	20
		Montreal Canadiens	RW	20
		New York Rangers	G	23
		New York Rangers	C	20
			RW	22
		Detroit Red Wings	G	23
		Boston Bruins	RW	26
		Toronto Maple Leafs	LW	19
		Montreal Canadiens	C	20
			C	23
		Toronto Maple Leafs	C	20
		Montreal Canadiens	RW	21
		Toronto Maple Leafs	D	26
		Montreal Canadiens	D	21
		Detroit Red Wings	G	22
		Toronto Maple Leafs	LW	20
		Boston Bruins	D	18
		Boston Bruins	C	21
		Minnesota North Stars	RW	23
			G	26
		Buffalo Sabres	C	19
		Montreal Canadiens	G	24
		New York Rangers	LW	21
		New York Islanders	D	19
		Atlanta Flames	LW	20
		New York Islanders	C	19
		Atlanta Flames	RW	21
		New York Islanders	RW	20
		Minnesota North Stars	C	20
		Boston Bruins	D	19
		Quebec Nordiques	C	24
			C	18
			RW	21
		Buffalo Sabres	G	18
		Pittsburgh Penguins	C	19
		Calgary Flames	D	21
		Los Angeles Kings	LW	20
		Calgary Flames	C	21
		New York Rangers	D	20
		Calgary Flames	RW	31
		Chicago Blackhawks	G	25
		Vancouver Canucks	RW	20
			RW	23
		New Jersey Devils	G	21
		Quebec Nordiques	C	21
		Ottawa Senators	RW	22
		New York Islanders	D	19
		Boston Bruins	LW	19
		Colorado Avalanche	C	22
		New Jersey Devils	C	19
		San Jose Sharks	G	25
		Atlanta Thrashers	RW	20
			D	21
		Boston Bruins	G	23
		-	-	-
		Washington Capitals	LW	20
		Pittsburgh Penguins	C	20
		Chicago Blackhawks	RW	19
		Columbus Blue Jackets	G	21
		Buffalo Sabres	D	20
		Carolina Hurricanes	C	18

See also

List of National Hockey League awards

List of NHL players

List of NHL statistical leaders

References

;General

Calder Trophy history at NHL.com

Calder Trophy profile at Legends of Hockey.net

;Specific

Category:National Hockey League trophies and awards Category:Awards established in 1933 Category:Rookie of the Year awards

cs:Calder Memorial Trophy da:Calder Memorial Trophy de:Calder Memorial Trophy es:Trofeo Calder fr:Trophée Calder hr:Calder Memorial Trophy it:Calder Memorial Trophy lv:Kaldera balva hu:Calder-emlékkupa nl:Calder Memorial Trophy ja:カルダー記念賞 pl:Calder Memorial Trophy pt:Troféu Memorial Calder ru:Колдер Трофи simple:Calder Memorial Trophy sk:Calder Memorial Trophy sl:Calder Memorial Trophy sh:Calderov memorijalni trofej fi:Calder Memorial Trophy sv:Calder Memorial Trophy uk:Пам'ятний трофей Колдера

position	Centre
shot	Right
height ft	6
height in	0
weight lb	185
played for	Minnesota North Stars
ntl team	United States
birth date	August 16, 1938
death date	January 15, 1968
death place	Minneapolis, MN, USA
birth place	Winnipeg, MB, CAN
career start	1967
career end	1968 }}

William J. Masterton (August 13, 1938 – January 15, 1968) was a Canadian-American professional ice hockey centre who played one season in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Minnesota North Stars before succumbing to an injury he suffered during a game against the Oakland Seals in 1968. He is the only player in NHL history to die as a direct result of an on-ice incident during a game.

Early life and career

A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Masterton began playing hockey in Canada's far-flung junior hockey program with the St. Boniface Canadiens in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League in 1956-57. Masterton went on to play collegiate hockey at the University of Denver in 1957-58 where he would be named an All-American and help the Pioneers win three NCAA national titles in 1958, 1960 and 1961. He was signed by the Montreal Canadiens soon after he came out of the University of Denver in 1961 and would play a few years in the minors before retiring in 1963 in order to work for the Honeywell Corporation in Minneapolis, MN. In 1966 Masterton played as an amateur for the United States men's national ice hockey team and eventually became an American citizen in 1967. The Montreal Canadiens traded his rights to the Minnesota North Stars before their inaugural season in 1967-68. He scored the first goal in North Stars history on October 11, 1967.

Death

On January 13, 1968, four minutes into a game against the Oakland Seals at the Met Center, Masterton was carrying the puck into the Seals' zone. Shortly after completing a pass to teammate Wayne Connelly, he was checked by Oakland's Larry Cahan and Ron Harris and fell backwards onto the ice head-first. The force of the back of his head hitting the ice caused blood to gush from his mouth and nose. Before Masterton lost consciousness, a teammate who rushed to his aid heard him murmur, "Never again. Never again."

Masterton sustained a massive brain hemorrhage that damaged the pons. The injury was so severe that doctors were unable to perform surgery, and Masterton died two days later.

His death would result in more intense lobbying to make it mandatory for hockey players to wear helmets which were uncommon in North American professional hockey at the time. Helmets were made a mandatory piece of equipment for professional players before the start of the 1979–80 season.

Masterton's #19 jersey has never been worn again by any player in the North Stars/Stars franchise, and it was officially retired in 1987, six years before the North Stars left Minnesota.

The Bill Masterton Trophy is named in his honour. The trophy is awarded for dedication, sportsmanship, and perseverance. Masterton attended Miles MacDonell Collegiate in Winnipeg, where he was the male athlete of the year at the school in 1955. In 1968, his family created a scholarship in his honour for MacDonell students.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				! colspan="5"		Playoffs
Season (sports)>Season	! Team	! League		! GP		Goal (ice hockey)>G	Assist (ice hockey)>A	Point (ice hockey)>Pts	Penalty (ice hockey)>PIM	! GP	! G	! A	! Pts	! PIM
1957-58	University of Denver	NCAA		-		-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1958-59	University of Denver	NCAA		23		21	28	49	6	-	-	-	-	-
1959-60	University of Denver	NCAA		34		21	46	67	2	-	-	-	-	-
1960-61	University of Denver	NCAA		32		24	56	80	4	-	-	-	-	-
1961-62	Hull Ottawa Canadiens	EPHL		65		31	35	66	18	12	0	4	4	0
1962-63	Cleveland Barons	AHL		72		27	55	82	12	7	4	5	9	2
1965-66	St. Paul Steers	USHL		30		27	40	67	6	-	-	-	-	-
1966-67	United States	NAT TM		23		10	29	39	4	-	-	-	-	-
1967-68	Minnesota North Stars	NHL		38		4	8	12	4	-	-	-	-	-
NHL totals				! 38		! 4	! 8	! 12	! 4	! -	! -	! -	! -	! -

Awards and achievements

Turnbull Cup MJHL Championship (1956)

NCAA National Championships (1958, 1960, & 1961)

WCHA First All-Star Team (1960 & 1961)

NCAA West First All-American Team (1960 & 1961)

NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team (1961)

NCAA Championship Tournament MVP (1961)

“Honored Member” of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame

See also

List of ice hockey players who died during their playing career

References

External links

Bill Masterton's biography at Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame

Category:1938 births Category:1968 deaths Category:Canadian ice hockey centres Category:Ice hockey people from Manitoba Category:Manitoba Junior Hockey League players Category:Minnesota North Stars players Category:National Hockey League players with retired numbers Category:People from Winnipeg Category:Sports deaths in Minnesota

de:Bill Masterton fr:Bill Masterton fi:Bill Masterton

team	Buffalo Sabres
league	NHL
position	Defence
shoots	Right
height ft	6| height_in 8
weight lb	227
ntl team	Canada
birth date	February 01, 1990
birth place	Katy, TX, USA
draft	12th overall
draft year	2008
draft team	Buffalo Sabres
career start	2009 }}

Tyler Myers (born February 1, 1990) is an American-Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Sabres in the first round, 12th overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. At the end of the 2009–10 NHL season, Myers won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's best rookie. Standing at 6-feet-8-inches, he is nicknamed "The Big Easy".

Born in Texas, Myers grew up in Calgary, Alberta. He has opted to play internationally for Canada. Representing Canada twice as a junior and once on the men's team, he has won gold medals at the 2008 IIHF World U18 Championships and 2009 World Junior Championships.

Playing career

Junior

In the 2005 Western Hockey League (WHL) Bantam Draft, Myers was the Kelowna Rockets first round selection, 19th overall. Prior to playing in the WHL, Myers continued minor hockey at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame with the Hounds, a AAA midget team.

Myers began his major junior career with the Rockets in 2005–06. Following his NHL draft year in 2007–08, Myers was ranked fourth among North American draft-eligible skaters by the NHL's Central Scouting Services. He was selected 12th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, after they traded the LA Kings a third-round pick to move up from the 13th spot. The following season, Myers helped the Rockets to a 2009 Ed Chynoweth Cup championship following a junior career-high 42-point regular season. Scoring 20 points during the Rockets playoff run, Myers was instrumental the franchise's third WHL title and was selected as the WHL Playoff MVP.

Following Myers' WHL championship win with the Rockets, he was signed to a two -year, entry-level contract with the Buffalo Sabres on May 11, 2009.

Professional

Myers started the 2009–10 NHL season with the Buffalo Sabres. He recorded his first NHL point on October 8, 2009, an assist, against the Phoenix Coyotes. Eight days later, Myers scored his first NHL goal against Dwayne Roloson of the New York Islanders. It was also his first multi-point game, as he recorded an assist as well. On October 24, Myers was used in the sixth round of a shootout against the Tampa Bay Lightning and scored the game winner. After a strong first nine games with the Sabres, the club decided to keep him in Buffalo rather than return him to the Rockets, initiating the first year of his contract.

Myers quickly established himself as the top defenceman on the Sabres roster, leading the club in average ice time per game in his rookie season. On December 16, 2009, he registered 28:32 of ice time in a regulation loss to the Ottawa Senators despite being one of a much-publicized group of Sabres players struck with food poisoning the night before. The following month, Myers recorded his first multi-goal game on January 8, 2010. He scored twice on the powerplay, including the game-winner, as the Sabres beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3–2. He also assisted Tim Kennedy on the Sabres' first goal.

Scoring 10 points and leading all rookies in average ice time (24 minutes and 42 seconds per game) for contests in January 2010, Myers was named the NHL Rookie of the Month. He completed his first NHL season leading league rookie defencemen, as well as Sabres defencemen, with 11 goals and 48 points. In the off-season, Myers was awarded with the Calder Memorial Trophy on June 23, 2010 at the NHL Awards Ceremony in Las Vegas, beating out forward Matt Duchene of the Colorado Avalanche and goaltender Jimmy Howard of the Detroit Red Wings.

International play

Canada}}

Despite being born in Katy, Texas, Myers plays internationally for Team Canada, as he grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and holds dual citizenship. Making the decision in his youth, he has credited moving to Canada as a large influence in his development as a hockey player, stating he would "be playing a different sport had I stayed in Texas."

Myers was a part of the national team that earned gold at the 2008 IIHF World U18 Championships in Kazan, Russia. He was later named to the Canadian under-20 team for the 2009 World Junior Championships in Ottawa, along with Kelowna Rockets teammate Jamie Benn, and helped Canada to a record-tying fifth straight gold medal.

On April 29, 2010, Myers was named to the Team Canada roster for the 2010 IIHF World Championship. He was part of a young squad that finished without a medal.

Awards

World Junior gold medal with Team Canada in 2009.

Ed Chynoweth Cup with the Kelowna Rockets in 2009.

WHL Playoff MVP in 2009.

NHL Rookie of the Month for January 2010.

Calder Memorial Trophy in 2010.

Career statistics

{| BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" width="85%" |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! ALIGN="center" colspan="6" | Regular season ! ALIGN="center" rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |   ! ALIGN="center" colspan="6" | Playoffs |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM ! +/- ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM ! +/- |- ALIGN="center" | 2005–06 | Notre Dame Hounds | SMHL | 34 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 78 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2005–06 | Kelowna Rockets | WHL | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |- ALIGN="center" | 2006–07 | Kelowna Rockets | WHL | 59 | 2 | 13 | 15 | 78 | -21 | — | — | — | — | — | — |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2007–08 | Kelowna Rockets | WHL | 65 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 97 | -16 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 12 | -4 |- ALIGN="center" | 2008–09 | Kelowna Rockets | WHL | 58 | 9 | 33 | 42 | 105 | 31 | 22 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 29 | 13 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2009–10 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 82 | 11 | 37 | 48 | 32 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 |- ALIGN="center" | 2010–11 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 80 | 10 | 27 | 37 | 40 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 16 | -4 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" | NHL totals ! 162 ! 21 ! 64 ! 85 ! 72 ! 13 ! 13 ! 2 ! 5 ! 7 ! 20 ! -4 |}

References

External links

Official WHL Profile

Category:1990 births Category:Athol Murray College of Notre Dame alumni Category:Buffalo Sabres draft picks Category:Buffalo Sabres players Category:Calder Trophy winners Category:Canadian ice hockey defencemen Category:Canadian people of American descent Category:Ice hockey people from Alberta Category:Kelowna Rockets alumni Category:Living people Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks Category:People from Calgary

cs:Tyler Myers de:Tyler Myers fr:Tyler Myers fi:Tyler Myers sv:Tyler Myers

name	Evgeni Malkin Евгений Малкин
team	Pittsburgh Penguins
former teams	Metallurg Magnitogorsk (RSL)
league	NHL
position	Centre
shoots	Left
height ft	6
height in	3
weight lb	195
ntl team	Russia
birth date	July 31, 1986
birth place	Magnitogorsk, Russian SFSR, USSR
draft	2nd overall
draft year	2004
draft team	Pittsburgh Penguins
career start	2003 }}

Evgeni Vladimirovich Malkin (, born July 31, 1986), also popularly known as ''Geno'', is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Chosen second overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Malkin's career in the NHL was delayed because of an international transfer dispute until 2006–07, in which he captured the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's best rookie. In his second season, he helped carry Pittsburgh to the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals and was a runner-up for the Hart Memorial Trophy. The following season, Malkin totaled 113 points and won the Art Ross Trophy, awarded annually to the top-scorer in the NHL. He then led all players in playoff scoring, en route to a Conn Smythe Trophy and the Stanley Cup championship.

Internationally, Malkin has competed for Russia in two IIHF World U18 Championships and three IIHF World U20 Championships, capturing one gold, two silvers and one bronze medal, as a junior. In 2006, in addition to a silver medal, he was also named tournament MVP. As a senior, he has played in three IIHF World Championships, capturing two bronze medals, as well as two Winter Olympic Games, in Turin and Vancouver.

Early life

Malkin's father, Vladimir, was a defenceman for the same team he played for in Russia, Metallurg Magnitogorsk. His brother, Denis, was also in Magnitogorsk's hockey system.

Playing career

Malkin is a product of the Metallurg Magnitogorsk hockey program. Prior to being drafted, he made his Russian Superleague debut in the 2003–04 season as a 17-year-old. He also made his international debut for Russia during the 2003 U-18 World Championships, where he skated on the top line with Alexander Ovechkin. The team went on to claim the bronze medal.

After his first professional season in Russia, Malkin was drafted 2nd overall (behind national teammate Alexander Ovechkin) in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Upon being drafted, Malkin would remain in Russia through to the 2005-06 season. In the midst of a dispute between the NHL and the IIHF, the Russian Hockey Federation refused to ratify a transfer agreement, forcing Malkin to honor his existing contract with Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

Before the start of the 2006–07 season, it appeared Malkin would remain in Russia another season after signing a one-year contract with Metallurg, but after some legal maneuvering, Malkin relieved himself of his Russian obligations and signed an entry-level contract with the Penguins. On September 20, 2006, in his first preseason game as a Pittsburgh Penguin, Malkin collided with teammate John LeClair and dislocated his shoulder, which forced him to miss the start of the season. Subsequently, his NHL debut would be delayed until October 18, against the New Jersey Devils, in which he would score his first NHL goal against Martin Brodeur.

To begin his NHL career, Malkin set a modern-day record as the first player to score at least one goal in each of his first six games. No player had achieved this feat since the league's inaugural season in 1917–18, when Joe Malone scored at least one goal in 14 consecutive games to start his NHL career. Malone's mark, however, was set when technically every player was playing in his first NHL season; he had already played almost a decade in the league's predecessor, the NHA. Malkin's streak was eventually stopped in his seventh game by the San Jose Sharks.

Playing on a team with fellow phenom Sidney Crosby, Malkin finished his rookie season with 33 goals and 85 points, leading all first-year players and capturing the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie.

When Malkin arrived in the United States, he spoke no English, but through the help of fellow Russian and teammate Sergei Gonchar, and his cousins, he eventually started to give short, simple interviews in the language.

In his sophomore season, Malkin recorded his first NHL hat trick against the Toronto Maple Leafs, on January 3, 2008. He earned another three-goal performance several games later, on January 14, against the New York Rangers. Midway through the season, when more heralded teammate and captain Sidney Crosby went down with an ankle injury, Malkin seized the opportunity to lead the Penguins, scoring 44 points in the 28 games Crosby was absent. In total, Malkin completed the season 2nd in NHL scoring with 106 points, six points behind Alexander Ovechkin for the Art Ross Trophy. Malkin continued to dominate into the playoffs as the Penguins made it to the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals. He scored three points against Detroit in the finals, totaling 22 points overall, but the Penguins were defeated by Detroit in six games.

Malkin's sophomore season culminated in a Hart Memorial Trophy nomination as league MVP—the award was given to Ovechkin—and First Team All-Star honors. On July 2, 2008, with one year left in his entry-level contract, he signed a contract extension with the Penguins for $43.5 million over five years.

Malkin began the 2008–09 season by scoring his 200th NHL point with an assist to Sidney Crosby on October 18, 2008. The goal was Crosby's 100th career goal and 300th career point. Crosby had a team trainer cut the puck in half so both players could commemorate the moment. Voted as a starter to the 2009 NHL All-Star Game later in the season, Malkin won the shooting accuracy segment of the Skills Competition, initially shooting four-for-four before beating Dany Heatley three-for-four in a tie-breaker. After having finished runner-up to Alexander Ovechkin the previous season for the Art Ross Trophy, Malkin captured the scoring championship with 113 points. He became the second Russian-born player to win it, after Ovechkin, and the fourth Penguin, after Mario Lemieux, Jaromír Jágr, and Crosby. However, he would once again be runner-up to Ovechkin for the Hart Memorial Trophy, although this time garnering a few more first-place votes. In 2008, he had just one first-place vote (out of 134 votes) and 659 points to Ovechkin's 128 first-place votes and 1,313 points. In 2009, Malkin had 12 first-place votes (out of 133 votes) and 787 points to Ovechkin's 115 first-place votes and 1,264 points.

On June 12, 2009, the Penguins won the Stanley Cup by defeating the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 in game 7 of the finals. Malkin tallied 36 points (14 goals, 22 assists) to become the first player to lead both the regular season and playoffs in scoring since Mario Lemieux accomplished the feat in 1992. His 36 points were the highest playoff total of any player since Wayne Gretzky amassed 40 points in 1993. Malkin received the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, becoming the first Russian-born player to do so. He is also just the second player in franchise history to win both the Art Ross and Conn Smythe trophies in the same year. The other Penguin to accomplish this feat was Hall of Famer and team co-owner/president Mario Lemieux (1992).

On February 4, 2011, after missing five games due to a left knee injury and sinus infection, Malkin returned to play against the Buffalo Sabres. At the start of the second period, Sabres defenseman Tyler Myers collided with Malkin against the end-boards, injuring his right knee. He was helped off the ice and went straight to the dressing room, unable to return to the game as he suffered both a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL). On February 9, it was announced that Malkin would undergo knee surgery. The Penguins estimated his recovery period as six months, sidelining him for the remainder of the 2010-11 NHL season and playoffs, but stated he should be ready for training camp in September. According to the Penguins' General Manager, Ray Shero, Malkin sent him a text message after the incident occurred stating, "I'm sorry." In Shero's words, "I told him he had nothing to apologize for."

Transfer dispute

Malkin's NHL career began with controversy, as a transfer dispute between the NHL and the IIHF delayed his Pittsburgh debut.

On August 7, 2006, it appeared that the 20-year-old Malkin had come to a compromise with Metallurg and signed a deal that would have kept him in Russia until May 2007. However, Malkin stated that he signed the one-year contract not as a compromise but because of the immense "psychological pressure" his former club exerted on him. Desiring to play in the NHL, he left Metallurg Magnitogorsk's training camp in Helsinki, Finland, before it had started on August 12. It would later appear that the team had taken Malkin's passport away to prevent him from leaving, but it was eventually given back to him and Malkin was allowed to pass through Finnish customs. Meeting with his agent, J. P. Barry, the two quickly departed and waited for Malkin's visa clearance from the US Embassy.

In order to legally leave the team, on August 15, Malkin invoked, by fax, a provision of Russian labor law that allowed him to cancel his one-year contract by giving his employer two weeks notice. Having untied himself of obligations in Russia, he was able to sign an entry-level contract with the Penguins on September 5, 2006.

Following his first NHL game with Pittsburgh, on October 19, 2006, Malkin's former Russian hockey club filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NHL and the Penguins in the United States District Court for the southern district of New York. The lawsuit claimed that Malkin should not be permitted to play in the NHL because he is still under contract in Russia. The claim also sought unspecified monetary damages. The motion for an injunction was, however, denied on November 15, 2006, ensuring that Malkin would continue play in the NHL that season. The lawsuit was furthermore dismissed by the District Court on February 1, 2007.

International play

}}

Malkin made his first international appearance with Russia at the 2003 IIHF World U18 Championships in Yaroslavl. He helped Russia to a bronze medal, scoring 9 points in 6 games. He was named Russia's U18 captain for the 2004 IIHF World U18 Championships the following year and scored 8 points as Russia improved to a gold medal in the tournament.

Several months prior to his second and final U18 tournament, Malkin debuted at the under-20 level with Russia at the 2004 World Junior Championships. In his first of three tournament appearances, he contributed 5 points in 6 games, but could not help Russia reach the podium. The following year, Malkin finished second in team scoring at the 2005 World Junior Championships to Alexander Ovechkin with 10 points. Led by the duo of Malkin and Ovechkin (the two had also played together the previous year), Russia won the silver, losing to Canada in the gold medal game. Later in 2005, Malkin made his debut with the Russian men's team at the 2005 World Championships. Despite failing to score a goal in the tournament, Malkin contributed 4 assists to help Russia to a bronze medal in Vienna.

In 2006, Malkin did triple duty for Russia, competing in his third World Junior Championships, his first Winter Olympics, and his second World Championships. He was named the top forward and MVP of the 2006 World Junior Championships in January, captaining Russia to a second straight silver medal and gold medal game loss to Canada. Less than two months later, Malkin was given one of the final spots on Team Russia for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, where he helped the team to a fourth-place finish with 6 points in 7 games. Then in May, Malkin played in the 2006 World Championship, where he led Russia in team scoring with 9 points.

Following his NHL rookie campaign with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Malkin was named to Team Russia for the 2007 World Championships, where he achieved a personal best for the tournament of 10 points. He also captured his second World Championships bronze.

Malkin was selected to play for the Russian Olympic Team at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, where he led Team Russia in points yet again with 3 goals and 6 points in 4 games. Team Russia ultimately lost to Canada in the quarterfinals, finishing 6th overall, which incidentally is their worst placing ever at an Olympic Games (including the former Soviet Union and Unified Team teams).

Awards and achievements

NHL Rookie of the Month – October 2006, November 2006 Calder Memorial Trophy (NHL Rookie of the Year) – 2007

Michel Brière Rookie of the Year Award (Pittsburgh Penguins' Rookie of the Year) – 2007 (shared with Jordan Staal)

World Championships All-Star Team – 2007, 2010

NHL All-Star Game – 2008, 2009 (starter)

NHL First Star of the Month – February 2008

NHL First All-Star Team – 2008, 2009

Hart Memorial Trophy runner-up – 2008, 2009

Pittsburgh Penguins' Most Valuable Player – 2008, 2009

Art Ross Trophy – 2008–09 NHL season

2009 Stanley Cup Champion

2009 Playoff Scoring Leader

Conn Smythe Trophy – 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Records

First player since 1917–18 to score goals in each of his first six NHL games (first accomplished by Joe Malone, Newsy Lalonde and Cy Denneny in inaugural NHL season) (Oct 18 - Nov 01, 2006) Longest point streak by a Russian player in the NHL – 15 games (accomplished twice) (surpassed Dmitri Kvartalnov of the Boston Bruins – 14 games in 1992)

Most consecutive post season games with multiple points for the Pittsburgh Penguins – 6 games (May 9–23, 2009)

First Russian player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy (2009)

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

{| BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="0" width="90%" style="text-align:center" |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" |   ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |   ! colspan="5" | Regular season ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |   ! colspan="5" | Playoffs |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM |- | 2003–04 | Metallurg Magnitogorsk | RSL | 34||3||9||12||12 | —||—||—||—||— |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2004–05 | Metallurg Magnitogorsk | RSL | 52||12||20||32||24 | 5||0||4||4||0 |- | 2005–06 | Metallurg Magnitogorsk | RSL | 46||21||26||47||46 | 11||5||10||15||41 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2006–07 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 78||33||52||85||80 | 5||0||4||4||8 |- | 2007–08 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 82||47||59||106||78 | 20||10||12||22||24 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2008–09 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 82||35||78||113||80 | 24||14||22||36||51 |- | 2009–10 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 67||28||49||77||100 | 13||5||6||11||6 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2010–11 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 43||15||22||37||18 | —||—||—||—||— |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" | NHL totals ! 352!!158!!260!!418!!356 ! 62!!29!!44!!73!!89 |}

International

4 1 4 3 0 3 2 5 3

Year	! Team	! Event		! GP	! G	! A	! Pts	! PIM
2003 IIHF World U18 Championships	2003	Russia			6	5	|	9	2
2004 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships	2004	Russia			6	|	4	5	0
2004 IIHF World U18 Championships	2004	Russia		U18	6	|	4	8	31
2005 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships	2005	Russia		WJC	6	|	7	10	16
2005 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships	2005	Russia			9	|	4	4	8
2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships	2006	Russia		WJC	6	4	6	10	12
	Russia	WC		7	|	6	9	6
2006 Winter Olympics	2006	Russia			7	|	4	6	31
2007 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships	2007	Russia		WC	9	|	5	10	6
2010 Winter Olympics	2010	Russia		Oly	4	|	3	6	0
	Russia	WC		5	5	2	7	10
Junior int'l totals				! 30!!17!!25!!42!!61
Senior int'l totals				! 41!!18!!24!!42!!61
Total				! 71!!35!!49!!84!!122

References

External links

Evgeni Malkin's profile at Pittsburgh Penguins official site

RussianProspects.com Evgeni Malkin Profile

Category:1986 births Category:Art Ross Trophy winners Category:Calder Trophy winners Category:Conn Smythe Trophy winners Category:HC Metallurg Magnitogorsk players Category:Ice hockey players at the 2006 Winter Olympics Category:Ice hockey players at the 2010 Winter Olympics Category:Living people Category:National Hockey League All-Stars Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks Category:National Hockey League players with 100 point seasons Category:Olympic ice hockey players of Russia Category:People from Chelyabinsk Oblast Category:Pittsburgh Penguins draft picks Category:Pittsburgh Penguins players Category:Russian expatriate ice hockey people Category:Russian expatriates in the United States Category:Russian ice hockey centres Category:Stanley Cup champions

cs:Jevgenij Malkin de:Jewgeni Wladimirowitsch Malkin fr:Ievgueni Malkine hr:Jevgenij Malkin it:Evgenij Malkin lv:Jevgēņijs Malkins lt:Jevgenijus Malkinas hu:Jevgenyij Vlagyimirovics Malkin nl:Evgeni Malkin no:Jevgenij Malkin pl:Jewgienij Małkin pt:Evgeni Malkin ru:Малкин, Евгений Владимирович simple:Evgeni Malkin sk:Jevgenij Vladimirovič Malkin sr:Јевгениј Малкин fi:Jevgeni Malkin sv:Jevgenij Malkin uk:Малкін Євген Володимирович

position	Left wing
shoots	Right
height ft	6
height in	2
weight lb	233
league	NHL
team	Washington Capitals
former teams	HC Dynamo Moscow (RSL)
ntl team	Russia
birth date	September 17, 1985
birth place	Moscow, Russian SFSR, USSR
draft	1st overall
draft year	2004
draft team	Washington Capitals
career start	2001
website	www.ovie8.com}}

Alexander Mikhaylovich Ovechkin (; ; born September 17, 1985) is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). Prior to playing in the NHL, Ovechkin played for HC Dynamo Moscow of the Russian Superleague for four seasons from 2001 until 2005. Ovechkin was the first overall selection in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, drafted from Dynamo after 3 seasons with the club. Since the 2004–05 NHL season was lost because of a lockout, Ovechkin remained with Dynamo for one more season before transferring to the NHL for the 2005–06 NHL season, in which he won the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year, scoring 52 goals and 54 assists to lead all rookies with 106 points.

During the 2007–08 season, he led the NHL with 65 goals and 112 points to capture the Rocket Richard and Art Ross Trophies. That season he also won the Lester B. Pearson Award as the top player voted by the NHL Players' Association and the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's MVP. He is the only player to win all four awards since the Rocket Richard Trophy's inception in 1999. He would lead Team Russia to a gold medal at the World Championships the same year.

In 2009, he again won the Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP, the Lester B. Pearson Award, and the Rocket Richard Trophy. Ovechkin also led the Capitals to their second consecutive division title. He won the Ted Lindsay Award, which the Pearson Award had been renamed, for a third straight year in 2010, as well as being named to the First All-Star Team for a fifth consecutive season.

Early life

Alex Ovechkin is the son of Mikhail Ovechkin, a former professional soccer player, and Tatyana Ovechkina, who won two Olympic gold medals while competing for the Soviet women's basketball team at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. The first sign of Ovechkin's future came when he was two years old—while in a Soviet toy store, he grabbed a toy hockey stick and refused to let go. His parents treasure the picture to this day. Whenever he saw a hockey game on TV, he "dropped all his toys" and ran to the TV, protesting if his parents tried to change the channel. His parents say they knew he would be an athlete when he chose to run up the steps to their 10th floor apartment instead of taking the elevator. They also encouraged him to be athletic, sending him out to play at nearby soccer fields and basketball courts.

Sergei, Ovechkin's older brother, had initially introduced him to hockey, and Alex enrolled in hockey school at the age of 8. Soon after he began, however, he had to postpone his hockey career because his parents were unable to take him to the rink. But one of Ovechkin's coaches saw his talent and insisted to his parents that he should continue playing hockey. Sergei later died in a car accident when Alex was only 10. A childhood friend claims this is one of the reasons Ovechkin is so passionate on the ice. He also has another older, brother, Mikhael.

Playing career

Dynamo Moscow

Ovechkin began playing in the Russian Superleague with Dynamo Moscow at the age of 16. Making his professional debut in the 2001–02 season, he scored four points in 21 games. He would spend three seasons there prior to being drafted by the NHL, and he would rack up 36 goals and 32 assists in 152 career games.

The following off-season, Ovechkin was selected first overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals. He had been projected as the first overall pick for nearly two years and had earned comparisons to Mario Lemieux. He was so highly regarded that the Florida Panthers attempted to draft him in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft in the 9th round, even though his birthday was two days after the cut-off (September 15, 1985). Rick Dudley, the general manager of the Panthers, claimed the pick was legitimate, claiming that Ovechkin was old enough with leap years taken into consideration.

Due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Ovechkin remained with Dynamo for one more season. He recorded 27 points in 34 games in 2004–05, while missing nearly two months of play because of a shoulder injury sustained in the gold medal game against Canada in the 2005 World Junior Championships. In the playoffs he helped Dynamo win the Russian Superleague title.

With the threat of the lockout cancelling another NHL season, Ovechkin signed a contract with rival Russian team Avangard Omsk. In order to maintain his eligibility for the NHL in the event that the lockout ended, the contract contained an out clause with a July 20, 2005 deadline. Although a new NHL collective bargaining agreement (CBA) had not yet been reached between players and owners, Ovechkin decided to opt out and signed with the Capitals on August 5, 2005. The deal was a three-year, entry-level contract worth the rookie maximum of $984,200 per season with performance-based bonuses to inflate his annual salary to as much as $3.9 million.

Washington Capitals

left|thumb|Ovechkin receives key to the cityTwo days after signing, the lockout ended with a new CBA. Ovechkin played his first game with the Capitals on October 5, 2005, scoring two goals in a 3–2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. On January 13, 2006 in Anaheim, Ovechkin scored his first career hat trick against Jean-Sébastien Giguère of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to help Washington win the game. Three days later, on January 16, he scored a goal that veteran hockey reporter Bill Clement called "one of the greatest goals of all time". Knocked down by Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Paul Mara and sliding on his back facing away from the net, Ovechkin was able to hook the puck with one hand on his stick and slide it into the net past goalie Brian Boucher for his second goal of the night. It became referred to as "The Goal". On February 1, Ovechkin was named NHL Rookie of the Month for January 2006 as well as being named Offensive Player of the Month, becoming only the third player in NHL history to earn both honors simultaneously.

Ovechkin finished the 2005–06 season leading all NHL rookies in goals, points, power-play goals, and shots. He finished third overall in the NHL in scoring with 106 points and tied for third in goals with 52. His 425 shots led the league, set an NHL rookie record and was the fourth-highest total in NHL history. Ovechkin's point total was the second-best in Washington Capitals history and his goals total tied for third in franchise history. He was also named to the NHL First All-Star Team, the first rookie to receive the honor in 15 years. After the season ended, Ovechkin received the Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded to the NHL's best rookie. EA Sports made him one of the cover athletes for ''NHL 07''. The following season, Ovechkin appeared in his first NHL All-Star Game in Dallas on January 24, 2007. He completed his second NHL season with 46 goals and 92 points.

Playing in the final season of his rookie contract, in 2007–08, Ovechkin signed a 13-year contract extension worth $124 million with the Capitals on January 10, 2008. The contract, which averages $9.5 million per year, is the richest in NHL history. Working without an agent, Ovechkin negotiated directly with Capitals owner Ted Leonsis and general manager George McPhee.

Late in the season, on March 3, 2008, Ovechkin notched his 50th, 51st and 52nd goals of the campaign for his fourth career NHL hat trick and to hit the 50-goal mark for the second time in his career. Later that month, on March 21, 2008, Ovechkin scored his 59th and 60th goals of the season against the Atlanta Thrashers, becoming the first NHL player to score 60 goals in a season since Mario Lemieux and Jaromír Jágr in 1995–96 and 19th player overall. Four days later, on March 25, Ovechkin scored his 61st goal of the season to break the Washington Capitals' team record for goals in a single season previously held by Dennis Maruk. He also went on to break Luc Robitaille's record for most goals by a left winger in one season on April 3, 2008, by scoring two goals for his 64th and 65th of the season. He also became the first NHL player to score at least 40 even-strength goals in one season since Pavel Bure in 1999–2000.

Leading the league in scoring with 65 goals and 112 points, Ovechkin captured both the Art Ross Trophy and the Rocket Richard Trophy in 2007–08. It was the first time in 41 seasons that a left-winger led the NHL in points since Bobby Hull led the league with 97 points in 1965–66.

Ovechkin helped lead a rejuvenated Capitals team back to the Stanley Cup playoffs with a stronger supporting cast that included countryman Alexander Semin, rookie center Nicklas Bäckström and defenseman Mike Green. He scored the game winning goal in his NHL playoff debut with less than five minutes left in Game 1 against the Philadelphia Flyers. He scored nine points in seven games against the Flyers as the Capitals were eliminated in the opening round. In the off-season, Ovechkin was awarded the Lester B. Pearson Award as the top player voted by the NHL Players' Association (NHLPA) and the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's MVP, becoming the first player in the history of the NHL to win all four major awards, including the Art Ross and Rocket Richard Trophies. Ovechkin was also awarded his third consecutive Kharlamov Trophy, named after Soviet hockey star Valeri Kharlamov and presented by Sovetsky Sport newspaper as the best Russian NHL player as voted by other Russian NHL players.

In late October of the 2008–09 NHL season, Ovechkin returned home to Moscow to visit his ailing grandfather, missing only the second game of his career up to that point, snapping a consecutive streak of 203 games played. On February 5, 2009, Ovechkin scored his 200th goal against the Los Angeles Kings becoming only the fourth player in the NHL to reach the milestone in four seasons, joining Wayne Gretzky, Mike Bossy and Mario Lemieux. On March 19, he scored his 50th goal of the season, becoming the first Washington Capitals player to reach the 50-goal mark three times. He finished the campaign with 56 goals to capture his second consecutive Rocket Richard Trophy, joining Jarome Iginla and Pavel Bure as the third player to win the award twice and the second player after Bure (2000 and 2001) to win the award in back-to-back seasons. With 110 points, he finished as runner-up to countryman Evgeni Malkin for the Art Ross.

Ovechkin and the Capitals repeated as division champions en route to meeting the Rangers in the opening round. After advancing to the second round in seven games, Ovechkin notched his first NHL playoff hat trick on May 4, 2009, in Game 2 against the Penguins to help Washington to a 4–3 win. The Capitals were eventually defeated by Pittsburgh, the eventual Stanley Cup champions, in seven games. Ovechkin finished the 2009 playoffs with a post-season career-high 21 points in 14 games. He went on to win the Hart and Pearson Trophies for the second consecutive year, becoming the seventeenth player to win the Hart multiple times.

Just over a month into the 2009–10 season, Ovechkin suffered an upper-body injury during a game against the Blue Jackets on November 1, 2009, after a collision with opposing forward Raffi Torres. After returning, Ovechkin was suspended by the NHL on December 1 for two games (one for the action, and one for a second game misconduct penalty during the season) for a knee-on-knee hit to Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Tim Gleason during a game the previous day. Both Gleason and Ovechkin had to be helped off the ice, although Gleason later returned during the game, while Ovechkin did not. Ovechkin was assessed a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct at the time. Capitals Coach Bruce Boudreau commented that Ovechkin's style of play was at times "reckless". The suspension was Ovechkin's first of his career, causing him to forfeit $98,844.16 in salary.

On January 5, 2010, Ovechkin was named captain of the Washington Capitals after previous captain Chris Clark was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He became the first European, second youngest and 14th overall captain in team history.

On February 5, 2010, at a game against the New York Rangers, Ovechkin, with his second goal and third point of the game, reached the 500-point milestone of his NHL career. He is the fifth player to achieve the milestone in only five seasons, reaching it in 373 career games.

On March 14, 2010, at a game against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center, Ovechkin sent Hawks defenseman Brian Campbell into the boards after Campbell had dumped the puck to the blue line. Ovechkin was called for boarding, receiving a 5-minute major and a game misconduct, and was suspended for 2 games (for a third game misconduct of the season, a 2-game suspension is automatic). Campbell suffered a fractured clavicle and fractured rib, and was expected to be out 7–8 weeks.

Ovechkin won the 2009–2010 Ted Lindsay Award, becoming only the second player to win the award in three consecutive years.

Ovechkin currently ranks third in Capitals history in goals (only Peter Bondra and Mike Gartner have tallied more goals) and is 7th in total points.

In 2009–2010 Ovechkin surpassed the mark of Montreal Canadiens Hall of Fame goaltender Bill Durnan (first four seasons from 1943–44 through 1946–47) and became the first player in NHL history voted a First Team All-Star in each of his first five seasons.

In 2011, Ovechkin and the Capitals took part in the New Year's Day NHL Winter Classic, facing Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ovechkin did not score any points, but he and the Capitals won 3–1.

On March 8, 2011, in a 5-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers, Ovechkin recorded his 600th career point.

On April 5, 2011, Ovechkin scored his 300th career goal, becoming the 6th youngest and 7th fastest player to do so.

International play

}} At the age of 16, Ovechkin helped lead the Junior National Team to the Gold medal with two hat tricks, one against Switzerland and one against USA, and an assist.

At the age of 17, when he was selected by Russian coach Viktor Tikhonov to play in the Česká Pojišťovna Cup EuroTour tournament, Ovechkin became the youngest skater ever to play for the Russian National Team. In that tournament he also became the youngest player ever to score for the National Team. He also was selected to play at the 2002 IIHF World U18 Championships, which he amassed 14 goals and 4 assists in 8 games, leading Russia to a Sliver medal.

At the age of 18, Alex Ovechkin was named Captain of the Junior Russian National Team. Russia finished 5th in the tournament. In 2003, the team would go on to win a gold medal in the IIHF World U20 Championship.

At the age of 19, Ovechkin was named to the Russian National Team for the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, making him the youngest player to play in the tournament.

Also at the age of 19, Alex Ovechkin was named Captain of the Junior National Team in the 2005 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. The tournament, lasting from December 25, 2004, to January 4, 2005, was Ovechkin's third and last. At the end of the tournament he had collected 7 goals (tied for tournament lead). His team received the silver medal after losing the gold medal game to Canada on January 4, and Ovechkin was named the Best Forward of the tournament as well as selected to the tournament All-Star Team. In 2005 Ovechkin played in his first IIHF men's World Championships. He scored five goals and three assists, landing eighth in the top scorers list and sharing third place in goal scoring.

In 2006, Ovechkin played in his first Winter Olympic Games. Although Russia came away from the games without a medal, Ovechkin scored 5 goals in the tournament, including the game-winner against Canada's Martin Brodeur, eliminating Canada from the tournament. Ovechkin was the only player not on the Swedish (Gold) or Finnish (Silver) teams to be named to the all-tournament team.

At the 2006 IIHF World Championships, Ovechkin scored six goals and three assists (nine points) in seven games before Russia lost 4–3 to the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals. For his efforts, Ovechkin was one of six players selected to the Media All-Star Team.

At the 2008 IIHF World Championships, Ovechkin helped lead Russia to the gold medal by finishing with 12 points (six goals, six assists) in nine games. He was selected to the Media All-Star Team for the second time in five tournament appearances.

In the 2010 Winter Olympics, Ovechkin and Team Russia were one of the favourites to win the Gold Medal. Despite high expectations, Russia lost to Canada 7–3 in the quarterfinals. Ovechkin finished with 2 goals and 2 assists in Russia's four games.

After being eliminated in the first round of the NHL playoffs, Ovechkin joined Team Russia for the 2010 IIHF World Championships along with many other Russian stars, such as Malkin, Datsyuk, and Kovalchuk. Despite being heavily favoured to win the tournament, Russia lost to the Czech Republic in the finals. This loss ended a disappointing year for Ovechkin on the international stage.

Ovechkin also joined the Russian team for the 2011 IIHF World Championships after the Capitals were eliminated from the NHL playoffs. He played in 5 games for the Russian team, but did not manage to score any points. This was the first time Ovechkin failed to score any points in a World Championship tournament.

Off the ice

The day after he received his first Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP, he was given the key to the city by Washington mayor Adrian M. Fenty for being the first Washington MVP winner in a major sport since Joe Theismann of the Washington Redskins in 1983.

On June 11, 2008, Ovechkin also launched his own line of designer streetwear with CCM.

Ovechkin was reportedly involved in a feud with Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin, who was drafted second behind Ovechkin in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. Though the two were reported to be good friends when they roomed together during the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, this friendship quickly cooled. There is no definitive information on what caused the feud, but the most popular theory is that it began in August 2007, when Ovechkin supposedly punched Malkin's Russian agent, Gennady Ushakov, at a Moscow nightclub. Ovechkin has denied that version of events, while Malkin confirmed it, although he was not certain whether this was the precipitating event to the feud. The most notorious event took place on January 21, 2008 in Pittsburgh, when Ovechkin took a run at Malkin, which would have seemingly resulted in a devastating hit had Malkin not ducked out of the way just in time. The two would also not make eye contact at the 2008 NHL Awards Ceremony. Despite these incidents, Ovechkin has repeatedly denied "having it out" for Malkin. it apparently dissipated as mysteriously as it started. On January 24, 2009, at the SuperSkills Competition, Malkin assisted Ovechkin in his stunt during the Breakaway Challenge. Malkin handed Ovechkin his props for the stunt as well as handing him his stick and pouring some sports drink down Ovechkin's throat. Though there is no final word on the nature and status of the feud, considering their past interactions, this incident appears to show that the feud has effectively ended. It has been reported that Ilya Kovalchuk, who was then the Atlanta Thrashers' captain and is also teammate of Ovechkin and Malkin on the Russian national team, brokered the peace between the two. On January 24, 2009, Ovechkin won the Breakaway Competition at the SuperSkills Competition for the 2nd consecutive year in Montreal after emerging in the final few seconds wearing a hat bestowed with a Canadian flag and white sunglasses. On January 25, 2009, Ovechkin scored 1 goal and notched 2 assists, as well as scoring the game-ending shootout goal in the 2009 NHL All-Star Game as the Eastern Conference won 12–11.

He has also made a brief cameo appearance in Vlad Topalov's music video for "Perfect Criminal". He appears at 3:50 minutes into the video, playing "the last man on Earth".

Late in the 2008–09 NHL season, Ovechkin garnered some criticism over his exuberant after-goal celebrations. In the February 28, 2009, segment of Hockey Night in Canada's Coach's Corner, Canadian hockey analyst Don Cherry likened Ovechkin's celebrations of jumping into the boards and his team-mates to that of soccer players, concluding that this was not the Canadian way and advising Canadian kids to ignore Ovechkin's example. Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau came to Ovechkin's defense, stating Cherry "doesn't know Alex like we know Alex", and Ovechkin himself stated that he "doesn't care" about Cherry. The next notable incident happened on March 19, 2009, in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. After scoring his 50th goal of the season, Ovechkin put his stick on the ice, pretending to warm his hands over it because it was "hot". The incident sparked an immediate response from Tampa Bay coach Rick Tocchet who said that "[Ovechkin] went down a notch in my books". Boudreau had also stated that he would discuss the incident with Ovechkin, and teammate Mike Green, despite being the first to celebrate with Ovechkin afterwards, commented that he did not wish to join in the pre-meditated celebration. Ovechkin himself was unapologetic, and said about Don Cherry in particular, "He's going to be pissed off for sure...I love it!".

He is the cover athlete of 2K Sports hockey simulation video game ''NHL 2K10'', as well as the cover athlete of EA Sports ''NHL 07''.

On July 6, 2009, Ovechkin was named an ambassador for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

In late 2009, he was named GQ's 48th most powerful person in D.C.

During the 2010–11 season, he has been featured in one of ESPN's ''This is SportsCenter'' commercials, in which he laughed off a question by an ESPN personality accusing him of being a Russian spy before being pulled upward by a line through an open ceiling tile by countryman and former Capitals teammate Semyon Varlamov. Ovechkin is featured on the wrapping of Big Deal candy bar.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				! colspan="5"		Playoffs
Season (sports)>Season	! Team	! League		! GP		Goal (ice hockey)>G	Assist (ice hockey)>A	Point (ice hockey)>Pts	Penalty (ice hockey)>PIM	! GP	! G	! A	! Pts	! PIM
2001–02				21		2	2	4	4	3	0	0	0	0
2002–03	Dynamo Moscow	RSL		40		8	7	15	29	5	0	0	0	2
2003–04	Dynamo Moscow	RSL		53		13	10	23	4	3	0	0	0	2
2004–05	Dynamo Moscow	RSL		37		13	14	27	32	10	2	4	6	31
	Washington Capitals			81		52	54	106	52	—	—	—	—	—
	Washington Capitals	NHL		82		46	46	92	52	—	—	—	—	—
	Washington Capitals	NHL		82		65	47	112	40	7	4	5	9	0
	Washington Capitals	NHL		79		56	54	110	72	14	11	10	21	8
	Washington Capitals	NHL		72		50	59	109	89	7	5	5	10	0
	Washington Capitals	NHL		79		32	53	85	41	9	5	5	10	10
RSL totals				! 151		! 36	! 33	! 69	! 106	! 21	! 2	! 4	! 6	! 35
NHL totals				! 475		! 301	! 313	! 614	! 346	! 37	! 25	! 25	! 50	! 18

International

! Year	! Team	! Event	! Result	! GP	! G	! A	! Pts	! PIM
	Russia			8	14	4	18	0
	Russia			6	6	1	7	4
	Russia	U18		6	9	4	13	6
	Russia	WJC	5	6	5	2	7	25
			10	6	1	1	2	0
	Russia		6	2	1	0	1	0
	Russia	WJC		6	7	4	11	4
	Russia	WC		8	5	3	8	4
	Russia		4	8	5	0	5	8
	Russia	WC	5	7	6	3	9	6
	Russia	WC		8	1	2	3	29
	Russia	WC		9	6	6	12	8
	Russia	Oly	6	4	2	2	4	2
	Russia	WC		9	5	1	6	4
	Russia	WC	4	5	0	0	0	4
Senior totals				! 66	! 32	! 18	! 50	! 65
U20 totals				! 18	! 18	! 7	! 25	! 33
U18 totals				! 14	! 23	! 8	! 31	! 6

NHL All-Star Games

Year	! Location		! G!!A!!Pts
55th National Hockey League All-Star Game	2007			1	0	1
56th National Hockey League All-Star Game	2008			2	0
57th National Hockey League All-Star Game	2009			1	2
58th National Hockey League All-Star Game	2011			1	1
All-Star totals			! 5!!3!!8

Awards

NHL

NHL All-Rookie Team: 2006

NHL First All-Star Team: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

NHL Number 1 Star of the Month: January 2006, January 2008, March 2008, November 2008, January 2010

NHL Offensive Player of the Month: January 2006

NHL Rookie of the Month: December 2005 and January 2006

NHL Number 1 Star of the Week: Week Ending – December 30, 2007; March 9, 2008; March 23, 2008; December 28, 2008; October 5, 2009; January 18, 2010.

NHL Offensive Player of the Week: Week Ending – December 31, 2005; January 23, 2006

NHL Player of the Year – ''Sporting News'': 2008, 2009

NHL All-Star Game selections: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011

Calder Memorial Trophy – NHL Rookie of the Year: 2006

Kharlamov Trophy – 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

Lester B. Pearson Award (Most Outstanding Player): 2008, 2009

* Ted Lindsay Award (Formerly known as Lester B. Pearson Award): 2010

Hart Memorial Trophy (Most Valuable Player): 2008, 2009

Art Ross Trophy: 2008 (112 points)

Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy: 2008 (65 goals), 2009 (56 goals)

International play

2005 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships – ''Best Forward''

2006 Winter Olympics – ''Ice Hockey All-Tournament Team''

2006 IIHF World Championship – ''Media All-Star Team''

2008 IIHF World Championship – ''Media All-Star Team''

Records

NHL records

First player to win the Art Ross Trophy, Maurice Richard Trophy, Lester B. Pearson Award and Hart Memorial Trophy as well as win all four in a single season (Note: The Maurice Richard Trophy was established for the 1998–99 season). Only player to be named to the NHL First All-Star Team in each of his first five seasons

Most goals scored by a left-winger in a season (2007–08) – 65 goals

Most points scored by a left-wing rookie (2005–06) – 106 points

Most shots on goal by a left-winger in a season (2008–09) – 528 shots

Most shots on goal by a rookie in a season (2005–06) – 425 shots

Point streak in consecutive games to start an NHL career by a No. 1 overall pick (2005–06) – 8 games

Most regular season points by a Russian-born NHL rookie (2005–06) – 106 points

Fastest overtime goal – 6 seconds; (December 15, 2006 vs. Atlanta Thrashers; tied with Mats Sundin and David Legwand)

Washington Capitals records

Most seasons with 50 or more goals – 4 (2005–06, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10)

Most shots on goal in a season – 528 (2008–09)

Most goals in a season (2007–08) – 65 goals

Most power play goals in a season (2007–08) – 22 PP goals (tie with Peter Bondra)

Most career overtime goals – 10 OT goals

Most career penalty shots attempted – 6 shots (most recent on January 17, 2010)

Most goals in a season by a rookie (2005–06) – 52 goals

Most points in a season by a rookie (2005–06) – 106 points

Point streak by a rookie – 11 games (17 points; 5 goals, 12 assists), March 18 – April 7, 2006

Point streak by a rookie to start season – 8 games

Goal streak by a rookie – 7 games, February 10 – March 8, 2006

References

External links

RussianProspects.com Alexander Ovechkin Profile

Player profile at eurohockey.com

Category:1985 births Category:Living people Category:People from Moscow Category:Art Ross Trophy winners Category:Calder Trophy winners Category:Hart Memorial Trophy winners Category:HC Dynamo Moscow players Category:Ice hockey players at the 2006 Winter Olympics Category:Ice hockey players at the 2010 Winter Olympics Category:Lester B. Pearson Award winners Category:National Hockey League All-Stars Category:National Hockey League first overall draft picks Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks Category:National Hockey League players with 50 goal seasons Category:National Hockey League players with 100 point seasons Category:Olympic ice hockey players of Russia Category:People from Arlington County, Virginia Category:Rocket Richard Trophy winners Category:Russian ice hockey left wingers Category:Sportspeople from Moscow Category:Washington Capitals captains Category:Washington Capitals draft picks Category:Washington Capitals players

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