The former Capitals center looks back fondly on his time playing alongside Ovechkin.
Former Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov had nothing but good things to say about Alex Ovechkin, saying that his captain and countrymate supported him for for over a decade in D.C.
In a new interview with Fonbet, Kuznetsov discussed his tenure with Washington and how Ovechkin immediately did what he could to watch out for Kuznetsov, starting when he came over from Russia in 2014.
"I arrived when I was 21. On my first day, he immediately took me under his wing and looked out for all of us Russians for 10 years," Kuznetsov said. "He always stood up for us."
The Russian pivot lived with Ovechkin early on his career, a step that Kuznetsov said was fundamental in his growth.
"It all started with the little things: I lived at his house, he fed me, and helped me with everything," Kuznetsov said. "He wasn’t just like that with me, but with every Russian who came to Washington."
Kuznetsov spent years centering Ovechkin, and in 2018, the two combined for a strong playoff run to hoist the Stanley Cup. Ovechkin won the Conn Smythe, while Kuznetsov led the NHL in scoring that postseason.
In 2024, amid ongoing struggles on and off the ice, Kuznetsov was waived, and the Capitals ultimately traded him to the Carolina Hurricanes. After a short stint in Carolina, he left the NHL and returned overseas to play in the KHL, where he's switched teams and is currently looking for a new contract.
Through 723 career appearances with Washington, Kuznetsov registered 171 goals and 397 assists for 568 points. He assisted on 110 of Ovechkin's 929 career goals.