“Your dad is there. He’s always there” – Alex Ovechkin mourns father’s death as Capitals come together supporting “The Great Eight”

Washington Capitals captain returned home earlier this week and took to social media on Wednesday to announce his father’s death at 71.


<strong>“Your dad is there. He’s always there” – Alex Ovechkin mourns father’s death as Capitals come together supporting “The Great Eight”</strong>

Alex Ovechkin and his dad Mikhail [Image Credit: RMNB]

Washington Capitals earlier this week announced that Alex Ovechkin would be out from the roster indefinitely due to some personal reasons. Ovechkin took to Instagram on Wednesday to announce the passing away of his father at the age of 71. 

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The team stated that though they knew what was going on, they didn’t want to make any comments on it unless the captain wanted to. The Capitals talked about how Ovie and his family are currently facing a challenging situation. It was noted that Ovie’s father suffered from heart health issues.

It’s been since 2014 that Mikhail Ovechkin suffered heart illness, became a victim of a heart attack in 2016, and later went through heart surgery. Ovechkin on his Instagram captioned, “Today I lost my father”. “I thank everyone for the support but please be understanding and do not disturb my family in this difficult time for us! Thank you.”

Related: WATCH: Sergei Ovechkin OUTSHINES dad Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby shooting goal against HOF Robert Luongo at Breakaway Challenge

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Alex Ovechkin announces his father, Mikhail’s death, at 71, on Instagram

Alex Ovechkin and his dad Mikhail [Image Credit: NY Post]
Alex Ovechkin and his dad Mikhail [Image Credit: NY Post]

Mikhail Ovechkin’s health update was noted on the popular Capitals blog, Russian Machine Never Breaks, “Mikhail has had a history of heart issues. Two days before the 2016 playoffs began, Mikhail suffered a heart attack, causing the family to call for an ambulance.”

“The now 71-year-old also had heart surgery done in February of 2014. Tatyana Ovechkina has said in past interviews that Mikhail can no longer travel large distances and attend Ovi’s games in the United States due to his “declining health”.

On Wednesday, the Capitals forward T.J. Oshie said, “It was hard for me to sit there and not just go up there and give him a big hug”. “I think everyone goes through it different. But I have an idea of the emotions that he was feeling when he was speaking to us, the emotions that he was inevitably going to go through and what he’s going through now. It’s hard.”

Mikhail was often seen at Capitals Arlington training complex, as he sought out coffee or just strolled the lanes and the dressing rooms. Even though he didn’t know how English and couldn’t communicate, he would flash a smile whenever he came across any of his Alex Ovechkin teammates. 

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Capitals alternate captain Nicklas Backstrom said, “We both didn’t speak English in the beginning, but we could understand each other with our hands.”  Due to his father’s deteriorating health, he could no longer travel great distances to see his match.

Oshie further notes how a deep family relationship is bonded with hockey. He says that they are always there when you need to tie up your lace, gear yourself up, or travel a long distances to play matches, “There’s just so much time that those earliest memories that you have playing — your dad is there. He’s always there.”

 

The Washington Capitals and their fans are all mourning Mikhail’s death, and praying for the captain and his family to get through these tough times. Ovechkin will not be able to join the team for quite some time, as coach Peter Laviolette gave a vague answer regarding it.

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He is at least expected to miss 3 games this week, as the team will have to tie up and go forth their playing regime. Backstrom said according to NHL.com, “I think first of all the most important thing is family, right?”. 

“I understand what Ovi’s going through, but I think for us as a team we’re all aware of the situation and we’re in a tough stretch here coming up here, so teams are winning so we have to do that, too. We’ve got to chip in for each other and make sure we really start playing as a team here.”

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