SOCHI, Russia (AP) — How big was the men’s hockey semifinal between the United States and Canada on Friday night? Big enough to get Russia’s superstar to shrug off his team’s monumental Olympic disappointment and come to the arena to watch the game.

Alex Ovechkin was in the house at Bolshoy Ice Dome, two days after Russia was eliminated from the tournament by Finland. The star-studded Russians’ poor showing on their home turf was a national embarrassment for a country that treats hockey as a national treasure.