Alex believes it’s the biggest opportunity and his dream to go the Olympics despite what the NHL says, stating that they will pull the plug on his contract. He is currently the captain on the Washington Capitals. He would represent his home country of Russia next year at the games.
“Yeah, I didn’t change my mind and I won’t,” the Washington Capitals captain said during a media scrum after the teams morning skate at the Air Canada Centre.
“Because it’s my country,” Ovechkin added. “I think everybody wants to play there. It’s the biggest opportunity in your life to play in the Olympic Games. So, I don’t know, somebody [is] going to tell me ‘don’t go,’ I don’t care, I just go.”
He remains optimistic that his NHL contract will remain instated dispute his dream of going to the Olympics.
“Yeah, I hope so,” he said. “Again, right now, it’s still time to make a decision; you can say whatever, but next year’s schedule is not out yet. So if the schedule is not going to the Olympic Games, then you can see they don’t bluff. But again, still long time, still everything can change. But in my mind, like I said already, I’m going. It doesn’t matter what.”
Russian and Capitals teammate Evgeni Kuznetsov reiterated Ovechkin, stating that he plans to attend regardless of what the NHL does although his mind was elsewhere on Monday after the devastating bomb attacks in St. Petersburg, Russia.
“I didn’t really pay attention yesterday about that [Olympic announcement] because there were some tough things in St. Petersburg,” Kuznetsov said. “But it is what it is. I still hope [the NHL] will let us play. But nothing is going to change from my point of view.”
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