Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is set to return to his roots this coming week, as he'll be honored by his hometown team, Dynamo Moscow.
The ceremony will take place on Friday in Russia at VTB Arena, as Dynamo will honor Ovechkin for passing Wayne Gretzky to become the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer.
"This Friday at 4 p.m., we will join you in honoring the legendary hockey player and renowned Dynamo player Alexander Ovechkin. The white-and-blue alumnus, Stanley Cup winner, and NHL record holder will be the guest of honor at our hockey celebration," the team shared in a press release, via TASS.
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Ovechkin grew up playing with Dynamo in Moscow, where he burst onto the hockey scene and played his way into becoming Washington's first-overall draft pick in 2004. He stayed with the organization during the 2004-05 lockout and would return to Dynamo for part of the 2012-13 campaign during the second lockout of his career.
The 39-year-old broke Gretzky's record on April 6 against the New York Islanders. He's up to 897 goals in his career, and this coming season, can become the first player in league history to reach 900 in the regular season.
Ovechkin is in the final year of his contract with the Capitals and has said that he would want to finish his playing career with Dynamo. He remains undecided regarding his NHL future.