"Ovechkin, along with his wife, Nastya, and his two children, Sergei and Ilya, vacationed in Dubai along with some of his extended family and friends. "Break was great," the 40-year-old Ovechkin said after Tuesday's skate. "Kind of a long flight, but worth it. Some times with family, friends. Don't think about hockey, don't think about the world." There was one other thing Ovechkin didn't think about. When asked if he had been watching the Olympics at all, Ovechkin replied "no" and ended the press conference."
""Obviously, I understand," Artemi Panarin told the New York Post. "But also it's pretty sad for athletes who play that sport all [their] life and then have dreams about that. For our side, it's pretty sad, but we can't control that. I hope people figure it out. Especially when speaking with other guys who are going to play in the Olympics, they wish Russia is going to be there.""
Alex Ovechkin returned to Washington Capitals practice after a week-plus away and said his break in Dubai with his wife and two children was great. He described the trip as a long flight worth it, spent with family and friends, and said he did not think about hockey or the world. When asked whether he had been watching the Olympics, he replied "no" and ended the press conference. Russia remains banned from the Olympics and the 12-nation hockey tournament through the 2026–27 season due to its invasion of Ukraine. Artemi Panarin called the exclusion sad for athletes who dreamed of competing. Ovechkin competed in 2006, 2010 and 2014 and has never medaled; he hoped to win both a Stanley Cup and Olympic gold. The NHL also banned Russia from the Four Nations Face Off for the same reason.
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