Ovechkin Signs One-Match Contract With FC Dynamo Moscow, Will Play In Friendly

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is trading his skates for cleats and has another professional contract to add to his resume.

Ovechkin inked a one-match contract with FC Dynamo Moscow of the Russian Premier League. It is the top professional soccer division in Russia. He will play in a friendly on Saturday against FC Amkal.

The Great 8 will wear No. 3 for Dynamo and is listed as a striker on the team’s official website. He is listed at 6-3 and 229 pounds, which is nine pounds under his listed weight for 2021-22.

Ovechkin is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, as he dished 50 goals for a record ninth time and added 40 assists for 90 points for the first time in almost a decade. He also became the highest-scoring European player of all time after passing Jaromir Jagr’s record 767 goals.

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He currently sits third on the NHL’s all-time goals list at 780. Ovi is 20 shy of 800, 22 shy of passing Gordie Howe and 115 shy of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record. He must average at least 29 goals over the next four seasons to break the record before his contract with the Capitals expires.

The 36-year-old has been to a number of soccer games over the years. His son, Sergei, also rang the ceremonial gong this summer. Ovechkin’s professional sports career began with HC Dynamo Moscow at age 16. He was playing for them when Washington selected him first overall in the 2004 NHL Draft.

This offseason will be a bit different for Ovechkin, as he said in a sports.ru interview that will begin his offseason training earlier because he wants to “change something” in his game.