Amid a sea of World Cup fans in Moscow, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin lifted high the Stanley Cup in celebration of his team’s NHL championship.
Ovechkin, the Russian-born hockey player who helped lead his team to their first-ever Stanley Cup win last month, returned to his home country and visited the Moscow World Cup fan zone on Saturday, bringing along the trophy for all to see the symbol of the Capitals’ accomplishment. Fans were able to take pictures with the Cup, and the Washington Capitals posted their own photos of Ovechkin’s experience on social media.
Elite pic.twitter.com/6E07hrMjCv
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) July 7, 2018
“The cup is with us. The cup is in Moscow, Russia,” Ovechkin said, according to the Associated Press. “I am very happy for the people that can see it and touch it. I am very, very happy.”
Ovechkin wished the Russian soccer team luck in the home stretch of the World Cup, where the team was set to square off against Croatia in a quarterfinal match. Croatia went on to claim a 4-3 shootout win following a 2-2 draw.
“Everyone is so happy. Miracles can happen,” Ovechkin said. “We are not far away from the final. We need to fight, and our players understand it. They will do everything that they can.”
Big crowd for @ovi8 & @StanleyCup at the #WorldCup Fan Zone #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/CYs3u60r4R
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) July 7, 2018
Last month, Ovechkin was spotted all over Washington, D.C., showing off the Stanley Cup after the Capitals defeated the Las Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL finals.
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