Alexander Ovechkin
Russian professional ice hockey left winger for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League.
Alex, you just enjoy watching because he's like a bull in a china shop. And he does everything. He's got all the great skills, and he can run over you as well.
All friends and relatives supported me. I do not know what to say. This is the victory for all Russians, for the whole country. We won the gold medal we were dreaming about. We deserved it.
I don't care what people say about me and what they think about me. I care about my team and I care about myself. Lots of people watch hockey, and I think everybody has different thinking.
Everybody looks comfortable playing on the same line as Ovechkin because that guy is unbelievable. Everybody has said that Alex and Pavel Bure are kind of the same caliber of player, and I think I agree with them. They both scored 50 goals and both are unbelievable. Playing with Alex, you know he's a great player. So you just give him the puck and stay away from him and give him room to operate. It's that easy.
I want to win, I want to win everything. If I have a chance to win, why not?
My coaches and teammates really trusted me and gave me a chance to improve. They would come to me after a game I didn't score and say, 'Hey, don't worry about it. Next game you'll score.' The guys were great. It's an unbelievable team. It feels like home for me.
I don't think pressure, that word, is on his mind. He loves to play hockey and enjoys the way he's playing. He's kind of made me re-establish my thinking.
We're lucky we have personalities on this team. Outgoing guys. (Alexander) Ovechkin is our top player and he's a free spirit. We let them have fun. Maybe there comes a time we need to do something to get to the next step. We'll see. Nothing is forever.
My dream has come true. I play with the great players and on a great team. I'm smiling and happy and enjoying the time of my life.
I'm ready. They hit me hard. I hit them hard. Doesn't matter who hits. What matters is results.
He's a great player. Everybody knows that. He's a very dangerous player, but if you limit his speed and time to make plays it's tough for anybody. It wasn't just me, it was the whole team playing well defensively against that line.
It was a good year. When I win the Stanley Cup, I'll say it's my best year.
I have a lot of respect for Ovechkin as a player. I like his enthusiasm. I know the kid has a zest for life and a joy for the game.
My goal is the same, work like last year, play hard all the time. Try and score goals.
I always look forward to playing in Toronto because it's such a historic city when it comes to hockey.
You can have the best skill in the world, but he has lots of will and that’s why he’s great. You look at the great young players around the league, including our players that we have here, and it’s their will. That’s what separates great players from medium players.
He's got Mike Bossy's hands, Jari Kurri's on-ice awareness, and Mark Messier's physicality.
You can't just stand and say to yourself, 'OK, right now I'm the best. That's it. No more working.' If you're a good player you have to be working harder and harder. This is not just my goal, it's my team goal. We can improve more and we can probably be even better than last year. My dream is to be the best.
We never give up, we believe in each other, we believe in the coach, we believe in everybody. Only when you believe do you win the Stanley Cup.
He's a fantastic player. I don't know what else you guys can write about him, but he's the best I've ever played with.