Miroshnichenko Sees A Lot Of Himself In Ovechkin, Wants Ovi To Break Record

As he continues his development overseas and begins his KHL career, Washington Capitals prospect Ivan Miroshnichenko is keeping his eye on his possible future captain in Alex Ovechkin.

Miorshnichenko, who is currently with Avangard Omsk, has been a lifelong fan of Ovechkin and is rooting for him to become the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer. Ovechkin recently hit 800 career goals and is two shy of passing Gordie Howe for second on the NHL's all-time goals list and 95 from breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time record.

"I'm very pleased with the fact that my name appears in the same sentence as Alexander Ovechkin," Miroshnichenko told sports.ru. "I hope he will soon break Wayne Gretzky's record. I want it to happen as soon as possible."

Miroshnichenko also added that he's excited for the possibility of sharing the ice with him in the future, and he hopes he'll be in D.C. for one of his milestones — and be involved in one, too.

"I hope to play with him someday, and it's a dream to make Ovi a pass for a record goal," he added.

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When it comes to their playing styles, Miroshnichenko pointed out there are similarities between him and Ovechkin and that Miroshnichenko tries to bring that A-game on a nightly basis.

"First, in power. Alex likes to hit people on the ice, just as I do. Second, it's [the shot] from the office," Miroshnichenko noted. "I don't score on every other shot like Ovi, but over time, it should come."

Even Ovechkin said that he sees star potential in Miroshnichenko, who is back to playing after winning his battle with Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

"Great pick," Ovechkin said. "He's one of the young players who can be a superstar."

As he continues to get critical experience and develop with Omsk, the 2022 first-rounder is looking forward to the next steps in his hockey future and enjoying his time in the KHL right now. However, he still has his sights set on the NHL. Miroshnichenko's KHL contract ends in 2024, and the Russian hopes that in years' time, he'll be wearing a Capitals jersey.

"Washington chose me in the first round after such a serious illness, so they saw something in me," he said. "I hope to be ready for Washington when my time comes."