One of the strongest players on the Washington Capitals is no doubt Left Wing Alexander Ovechkin. Born in Moscow, young Alex fell in love with hockey at an early age; at two he claimed a helmet and stick in a toy store and wouldn't let go, and as a child he wouldn't allow his parents to change the channel if hockey was on television. By age seven, he was playing in junior hockey leagues, and at 16 he made is debut in the Dynamo Moscow system.
In 2004, the Washington Capitals earned the first overall draft choice, and no one was surprised when their pick was the newly-available Ovechkin. (He was such a hot property that the Florida Panthers had attempted to use creative math to prove he was old enough for the 2003 draft, but failed.) His first game for the Capitals came after the lockout, and on October 5th 2005 he scored a pair of goals in a 3-2 victory over Columbus.
Ovechkin quickly made a name for himself as a clutch player, and on January 16, 2006, scored the most famous goal in his career. Playing against the Phoenix Coyotes, Ovechkin had been knocked over by a defensive player, and was sliding across the ice on his back, facing away from the goal. He was still somehow able to hook the puck one-handed behind his back and score a no-look goal past the goalie and two defensive players. It is still considered one of the greatest goals of all time.
