Alex Ovechkin on Matvei Michkov ahead of 'historical' first NHL game against each other: 'He's a talented guy. He's in good hands over here.'

"I'm happy for him," Ovechkin said Monday. "He's a talented guy. He's in good hands over here. He just have to be patient, play his game, and everything is going to be fine."

"I think he just have to be patient, like play his game. I know Oleg Znarok here, so he's in good hands. For me, I think you just have to be patient and play your game, most important thing."

Ovechkin knows all about the trials and tribulations of arriving in North America from Russia with high expectations, as he did before the 2005-06 season.

Ovechkin explicitly mentions Znarok, a highly decorated Russian-Latvian coach, highlighting the importance of mentorship for Michkov's development in the NHL.

Read at RMNB