“It’s completely different,” NHL great Alex Ovechkin compares position TRANSITION from center to wing during early stages of career

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin recently recalled how he started playing as a center before moving into the wing position.

“It’s completely different,” NHL great Alex Ovechkin compares position TRANSITION from center to wing during early stages of career

Alex Ovechkin (Pic Credit: Washingtonian)

Alex Ovechkin is one of the greatest, if not the best players in NHL history. Popular by his nickname of “The Great Eight”, the Russian international has continued to set high standards in the field of ice hockey. With the NHL on a break right now, players are getting ready for the upcoming season. Ovechkin right now is in his native state of Russia and shared some of his experiences in his career.

In a sit-down interview with Russian outlet MatchTV, the legendary player expressed his story. He would go on to share how he initially started out as a center player but later transitioned as a winger. This move has certainly worked well for him as he is second on the list for the most goals scored behind fellow NHL great Wayne Gretzky.

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In an interview that has been translated, Ovechkin informed how he started playing hockey as a center but was put on the wing. “I started playing hockey as a center. Then I was put on the wing,” he said. He would further explain how the two positions are different and hard to adapt.

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“It’s completely different. You have to be responsible for getting out of the zone for the central information,” he added. Ovechkin further stated how the position of a winger is much calmer than the center and he only has to look out for his side of the attack.

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Alex Ovechkin claims NHL has changed since his debut

Ovechkin
Alex Ovechkin (Pic Credit: NY Times)

With every passing day, week, month, and year, change is seen. It is the most common thing in the world. According to great Alex Ovechkin, the league has changed a lot since his debut and still continues to adapt to new things.

“Hockey’s been changing since I first came to the NHL… stable performances is one of the keys to success,” he mentioned. Ovechkin would go on explain his statement by comparing the new players. He gave credit to how the new players excel in the categories of skills and technical abilities but lack physical strength. He would call this development unfortunate for the sport of hockey.

The Washington Capitals captain is now gearing up for his 19th season in the NHL. He currently has two things on his mind, the goal-scoring record and the 1,500 points mark. If he stays fit and plays the full season, he will definitely surpass the points mark this season. He is also one of the likely candidates to be inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame. However, his main priority will be to deliver the Stanley Cup to the Washington franchise.

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