Hockey Superstar Ovethkin had never been battled in Edmonton, known for his Ukrainians – the boom continued through the match on Wednesday

Edmonton

Washington Capitalsin captain Alexander Ovethkin stood quietly on the player bench, head down in Edmonton moments before the match began. We can only try to imagine what moved in the mind of one of the most legendary scorers in NHL history. The occasion was not the same as the 1,253 matches he played in the toughest hockey league in the world before.

There was tension in the air that has very rarely been experienced in NHL matches. The Russian Ovetkki was heard to hear the national anthem of Canada in Ukrainian, performed by the Viter Choir & Folk Ensemble in Edmonton. The lights of the giant hall turned blue-yellow.

The blue-yellow flag of Ukraine was glued to the helmets of the home team players. There were dozens and dozens of large Ukrainian flags and signs in the auditorium; several spectators wearing a Ukrainian jersey. Jumbotron, one of the largest in the world, was urged to buy lotteries for Ukraine.

Ovetškin was immediately able to try goal number 767 in his first substitution, after which he would have only been in the all-time goal statistics. Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky. But the goalkeeper Mikko Koskinen rejected.

The Edmonton crowd busted the Capitals captain. And the boom continued throughout the match whenever he touched the puck. Ovashkin, 36, is known for his support for the Russian president Vladimir Putinia.

Albertan The provincial capital of Edmonton is the most Ukrainian city in the western world. Out of the inhabitants of a city smaller than Helsinki, about 160,000 inhabitants have Ukrainian roots. Of the nearly 4.5 million inhabitants in the province of Alberta, about 370,000 are counted as Ukrainians by ethnic background.

Ukrainian culture is evident in everything. In rural areas, Ukrainian churches are like pearls of the prairie. There are several Ukrainian restaurants and bakeries in Edmonton: Taste of Ukraine, Yo Baba, Uncle Ed`s and The Purple Perogy and so on. Ukrainian Christmas and New Year are big events. The city is influenced by Canada’s only professional Shumka group performing Ukrainian dances.

Restaurateur Jimmy Shewchuk held Ukrainian dinners last week to help their ancestors domestic. Tickets sold out in a day.

The names of the most famous hockey players from the Edmonton area speak their own language. Babych, Parayko, Daneyko, Yaremchuk, Zalapski and Brodziak.

Cale Makarinkin the family is Ukrainian, but he was born in Calgary. Boston Bruins legendary 1950s Ukrainian chain “Uke Line”, Bucyk–Stasiuk–Horvath played in Edmonton before his breakthrough in the six-team NHL.

Wayne Gretzky, who skated on the world map of Edmonton, is no coincidence popular in a city where his statue still stands next to the ice rink. He heard Ukraine with his grandparents. When Gretzky opened her restaurant in Toronto, “Gretzky’s grandmother’s pierogs” were on the menu.

Wednesday the Ukrainian evening was not held in protest of Russian players at the Washington Capitals.

“I’ve received a lot of calls from journalists influential elsewhere in the NHL who want to inquire about some of our protests,” said Oilers Entertainment Group’s management team. Tim Shipton To Helsingin Sanomat.

“It’s not a question at all. Edmonton and northern Alberta are very Ukrainian areas, and in the event of a humanitarian catastrophe, we felt it was our duty to help. We all have a neighbor, relative, or friend of Ukrainian descent. ”

Last Friday, the national anthem of Ukraine was heard in the hall against Montreal.

“Washington Capitals and Alexander Ovethkin just happened to be on the road today on their way through Alberta. It’s not about them. ”

The NHL only allows two national anthems to be performed before the match. Therefore, only the national anthems of the United States and Canada were heard on Wednesday.

For ovkkinin had never been buzzed in Edmonton before.

Just four years ago, he received special applause already in the early warm-up. The townspeople had learned through social media that Ovveth had also helped the homeless man. He had seen a man poorly dressed in the cold air on the street, and took him to the department store for shopping. The rider on the side got a decent sweater, beanie and a thick winter jacket. He did not know his benefactor.

At that time, Alexander Ovethki seemed almost bothered when asked about it. He had not sought publicity for his actions. The staff at the local cafe had seen what happened and tweeted about it.

Connor McDavid decided on Wednesday to win the Edmonton Oilers in overtime. The Edmonton Oilers took the victory from the Washington Capitals 4-3 in their home trough. Koskinen blocked 29 shots in the match.

Capitals players were allowed to leave the ice on the side of the oversized Ukrainian flag.

Ovethkinin’s goal number 767 is still to be seen. We can only imagine what was on his mind in Edmonton.