Photo credit: @mkirilenko
Thanks to Maria Kirilenko, we have moar child photos of Alex Ovechkin. To the left, Baby Sasha, wearing suspenders, enthusiastically high-fives a person just out of frame, probably Baby Alex Semin. To the right, baby Masha smiles pensively. This is because her pants have been pulled up chest-high and she is having circulatory problems.
If you have exquisite tastes like me, check out some more amazing photos of Ovi as a kid.
The happy couple. (Photo credit: @mkirilenko)
Every blogger has that day in his life when he must link to Huffington Post. For me, that day is today.
HuffPo has reprinted an AP story in which the Ovi and Maria finally divulge some details on their upcoming wedding. Emphasis on some. Here is all the information I gleaned from the piece:
That’s pretty much it. You can read the whole article– from which I’ve already extracted all the stuff you might care about– by following this link right here. Boom!
Photo credit: @mkirilenko
A night before the Capitals take on the New York Islanders at home, Alex Ovechkin and fellow countryman Dmitry Orlov took their ladies, Maria and Varvara, out to dinner. Maybe they were celebrating the Caps’ three-game winning-streak or maybe they were celebrating Ovi’s NHL Live interview where he said uh exactly 382 times. Maybe they were just hungry. Either way, hooray for Russian Caps hanging out. Helps the RMNB brand.
A thumbs up from Kirilenko is more lucky than a swimming pool full of horseshoes and four-leaf clovers. (Photo credit: @mkirilenko)
Photo credit: Patrick McDermott
That washed-up Russian, Alex Ovechkin, has scored 17 goals in his last 15 games. During that span, the Washington Capitals are an astounding 12-2-1, which has taken them from the cellar of the Eastern Conference to the top of the Southeast Division. I guess we really did forget to flush. The goals have made Ovechkin a MVP candidate again for the first time in years and literally the happiest guy on the planet.
Saturday night against the Lightning, Ovechkin punctuated a huge first period for the Caps with a beautiful semi-breakaway goal. As the Lightning prepared for Ovi to shoot from the circles, the Great Eight surprised everybody on the ice and went to his backhand, beating Ben Bishop to the right post. It would be Washington’s third goal of the period and the team’s 20th shot.
Let’s just forget about the two periods after that.
The goal, which was reminiscent of Ovi’s game-winning overtime tally against the Islanders in 2011, was his 27th of the season. Ovechkin is now the NHL’s league leader in goals once again. And this time his reign will last more than an hour.
Maria, please keep coming to all the games.
GIFs by welshhockeyfan
Photo credit: Washington Capitals Instagram
Tonight, the Washington Capitals are holding their annual season ticket holder party at Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Over the years, the event has produced classic moments such as Alex Semin speaking English on video for the first time ever and the entire team riding a roller coaster. So far this evening, we have already been treated to a photo of Alex Ovechkin and Maria Kirilenko posing just before they rode on the Superman roller coaster.
For those of you at the event tonight, tweet or email us your favorite photos from the event and we’ll publish our favorites as the night goes along. RMNB readers, put on your fedoras and get out your fancy mobile phones. You haves some investigative reporting to do for us!
Photo credit: Washington Capitals Instagram
The quintessential #NeuvyFace photo. (Photo credit: @Jessica_Stan808)
Photo credit: @eduktor42
Mike Ribeiro hanging out with the event coordinator. (Photo credit: @eduktor42)
Troy Brouwer signs the Brouwer Rangers’ helmet. (Photo credit: @brouwerrangers)
“For the record, Maria is laughing, not puking.” (Photo credit: @sombrero_guy)
No one will top this. Martin Erat signed George McPhee’s bio page in a program which included a photo of Filip Forsberg. Amanda says he laughed when he asked him to sign it. (Photo credit: @unleashthefury)
Suzanne had the players sign her Ovechtrick shirt. (Photo credit: @suzannekang)
Ovi disgusted after missing out on a prize. (Photo credit: @itallfallsdwn)
Mikhail Ovechkin. (Photo credit: @mkpanda78)
John Carlson signing autographs. (Photo credit: @AmyD2010move)
A great photo of Eric Fehr. (Photo credit: @eduktor42)
Abby meets Alex Ovechkin. TOO CUTE. (Photo credit: Patrick Wood)
Nicklas Backstrom smiling. (Photo credit: @Jessica_Stan808)
Photo credit: @mkirilenko
Maria with Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. (Photo credit: @mkirilenko)
Ovi holds his nose behind Maria. (Photo credit: @zyvo23)
Mike Ribeiro poses with @hotpinkhope’s new neon sock. (Photo credit: @amberlynne)
Matt Hendricks smiles for the camera. (Photo credit: @jesse_westside)
John Erskine tries to smile. (Photo credit: @AllisonGyovai)
John Carlson. Caps staffer looks stunned. (Photo credit: @jesse_westside)
Jay Beagle and Karl Alzner signing autographs. (Photo credit: @AllisonGyovai)
From mkpanda78: “When I gave Beagle this picture that I took, he started laughing. I asked if he remembered it and he said that it’s hard to keep track cause he tries to “kill Perry all the time”. He then showed it to Alzner who got a kick out of it as well. Matthieu laughed when he signed it later! Best day! I love the Caps!!!”
Joel Ward, Jeff Schultz, and the guy behind the Capitals Tumblr, James Heuser. (Photo credit: @kat4888)
Fantastic photo of Mathieu Perreault. (Photo credit: Molly Flatley)
#OleksyFace. (Photo credit: @suzannekang)
More #OleksyFace. (Photo credit: @kellygirl32)
And finally, Ovi picks his nose. (Photo credit: @makeyagomads)
A few days ago, when the Caps clinched the Southeast division, Alex Ovechkin was asked how the team celebrated. “Yeah, like, we went to the bar. I got home at 7 in the morning. I get hammered,” Ovechkin deadpanned to The Washington Post’s Katie Carrera. “That’s kind of Russian celebration.” Well on his day off after winning the Rocket Richard trophy, Ovi had another early morning Russian celebration, this time putting on sneakers, grey shorts, a zip-up hoodie, and a Caps floppy hat given away on Fan Appreciation night and played tennis with his fiancée Maria Kirilenko. Adorbs. This is pretty much the same attire I wear on Sundays too.
Photo credit: @Ovi8
Alex Ovechkin and rap music go together like cheese whiz and nachos. His cameo in Sasha Belyi’s Champion was such a hit with our readers, we had to buy four extra mice to run on those little wheels to power our web servers. And on Wednesday, using Maria Kirilenko’s iPhone, Ovi and his crew put their hoods up and gyrated to Drake’s Started From The Bottom. And here I was thinking we’d have nothing to post during the four-day break.
GIF by welshhockeyfan
GIF by alzner
Ovechkin showing NHL oficials how it’s done. Maria McEnroe-ing. (Photo credit: @ovi8)
Now that Alex Ovechkin‘s season is over, it’s time for the world’s greatest hockey player to morph back into the world’s greatest cheerleader. The French Open begins on Monday, so Ovi and fiancée Maria Kirilenko arrived in Paris this weekend, and romance was in the air.
Who is going to win??? twitter.com/mkirilenko/sta…
— Maria Kirilenko (@mkirilenko) May 25, 2013
I think BAY…
— Alex Ovechkin (@ovi8) May 25, 2013
We rented a house out side the Paris and we have a beautiful garden out here. So me and @ovi8 have a romantic view for watching a soccer
— Maria Kirilenko (@mkirilenko) May 25, 2013
I know what im doing @mkirilenko …go play tennis!hahaha twitter.com/ovi8/status/33…
— Alex Ovechkin (@ovi8) May 27, 2013
Even with my favorite referee @ovi8 I’m argue during my practice! “The ball was In”!!! Lol twitter.com/mkirilenko/sta…
— Maria Kirilenko (@mkirilenko) May 27, 2013
Paris…time to go eat sushi! twitter.com/ovi8/status/33…
— Alex Ovechkin (@ovi8) May 27, 2013
Dont even think @mkirilenko hahahaah! Time to rest!sushi time! twitter.com/ovi8/status/33…
— Alex Ovechkin (@ovi8) May 27, 2013
A promising young couple. I think they’re going places.
Laaaaadies. (Screenshot via reader Paddy P.)
Last week, Alex Ovechkin and companion walking boot made the trek to Paris to cheer for his fiancee Maria Kirilenko (and BAY) at the French Open. Maria had a successful tournament, advancing to the quarterfinals of the Open for the first time beforing losing to Viktoria Azarenka of Belarus, a part-time lion tamer and also the third ranked women’s player in the world.
Not winning the shiny Roland Garros trophy isn’t the end of the world. As of next week, Maria will break into the WTA’s top-10 rankings for the first time in her career. The highest she’s ever been ranked previously was 12th. Do we credit Ovechkin’s cheering? We credit Ovechkin’s cheering.
Now let’s summarize what you missed.
Warm up before the match twitter.com/ovi8/status/34…
— Alex Ovechkin (@ovi8) June 1, 2013
Ovi likes the view apparently.
Funny)))haha twitter.com/ovi8/status/34…
— Alex Ovechkin (@ovi8) June 1, 2013
Ovi humored by fans wanting things.
YESSSHHH. (GIF by sexylenko)
GIF by sexylenko
The interview after Maria’s fourth round victory. (GIF by sexylenko)
GIF by sexylenko
Lets do it!just do it!!!!@mkirilenko twitter.com/ovi8/status/34…
— Alex Ovechkin (@ovi8) June 5, 2013
Maria’s excited.
Congrats, Maria. (GIF by maria-kirilenko)
Летим домоооооой!!!!!! Flying hoooome!!!! twitter.com/mkirilenko/sta…
— Maria Kirilenko (@mkirilenko) June 6, 2013
I will not make fun of Ovi’s shoes. I will not make fun of Ovi’s shoes. I will not make fun of Ovi’s shoes.
After returning home to see some family in Russia earlier in the week, Alex Ovechkin is back where he belongs. And that place is the warm embrace of Maria Kirilenko. Maria has spent the past few days getting ready for Wimbledon in London. It’ll be her first grand slam tourney as a top-ten rated player.
Also of note: Ovi is no longer rocking the boot. His broken foot must be healing. Also, I’m not making fun of his shoes.
Photo credit: @mkirilenko
On Tuesday afternoon, with her fiancée Alex Ovechkin in attendance, Maria Kirilenko was upset in Wimbledon’s first round by Britain’s Laura Robson. Kirilenko, ranked in the top ten for the first time in her career, uncharacteristically lost in straight sets 6-3, 6-4.
The next day, the Daily Mail published a story stating that Wimbledon officials barred Ovi from working out at the Wimbledon gym — a problem that golf superstar and perm lover Rory McIlroy, boyfriend of Caroline Wozniacki, did not encounter. Maria reportedly (and understandably) was not pleased.
I’ll let Charles Sale explain.
The ice hockey star is understood to have been barred from using the gym facilities for players and coaches in the Millennium Building complex, sparking Kirilenko’s complaints about McIlroy being in there.
McIlroy said on Tuesday that staff had been ‘very helpful’ in allowing him to train at Wimbledon. The Ulsterman had become such a fixture that gym manager Clive Brewer, head of fitness at Super League side Widnes Vikings, interrupted Rory’s exercise regime on Tuesday to get him to pose for a picture in which he held up a sign reading ‘Good Luck Widnes’.
An All England Club spokesman said Ovechkin would also have been allowed in if he had been accredited to enter the complex.
The drama must not have been too awkward however, because Ovechkin posted a photo and several tweets praising McIlroy, after meeting the number-two ranked golfer, ironically, after the latter worked out.
This guy don't think I get hole in 1!!! Hahaha. We gonna play golf and hockey and see who better )))) pic.twitter.com/ZxS7EP8KRg
— Alex Ovechkin (@ovi8) June 25, 2013
Great to meet @McIlroyRory !! We both gr8 at carry tennis bags )))
— Alex Ovechkin (@ovi8) June 25, 2013
Maria, who usually is a fervent tweeter, hasn’t published anything since her loss Tuesday.
RMNB has hit the pageview bifecta today. First, news broke that Jeff Schultz will be bought out. Now, Maria Kirilenko has published a heavily filtered photo of Alex Ovechkin holding a cat.
It’s no Eli Manning holding a tiny bucket, but it’ll do. Ahh, summer content.
Photo via @mkirilenko
Six years ago, July 1st, 2007, Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee signed veteran Russian forward Viktor Kozlov from the New York Islanders to a two-year, $5 million deal. It proved to be a wise move. Kozlov played on the Caps’ first line with Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, scoring 29 goals and tallying 94 points in 148 games. Ovechkin won the Rocket Richard and Hart trophies both seasons he was paired with Kozlov.
They’re still bros today. Ovechkin attended Kozlov’s wedding on Free Agent Frenzy Friday with fiancée Maria Kirilenko. I’d give you more juicy details about the wedding, but both Fedor and Igor, who can actually understand the Russian interwebs, are traveling today.
What I can do is link to my all-time favorite Capitals interview, featuring Ovechkin, Kozlov, Alex Semin, and Sergei Fedorov speaking and giggling through a feature with Lisa Hillary.
That’s the stuff.
Since his days in Washington, Kozlov has returned to Russia and played for Salavat Yulaev, Lokomotiv, and CSKA of the KHL.
[Editor's Note: Please play this song while viewing this post.]
There was once a time when an Alex Ovechkin vacation meant adult beverages, funny hats, and a throng of dancing women. That was the old Ovi. The new Ovi is a refined gentleman. He shaves, wears color-coordinated beach outfits, and does the Titanic pose in Twitter photos with his fiancee.
Ovi wouldn’t even freeze to death in the icy water. He’d be like hahaha ice))))))) and then he’d frog-kick the door Maria is floating on right into Ellis Island.
Early this morning, before North America woke up, Alex Ovechkin tweeted out a photo of Maria Kirilenko and himself. “The best vacation in the world!!,” the message read with typical ovithusiasm. “#MardanPalace thx u !!!president room))hahaha [sic unbelievable]”
As RMNB’s Senior Vacation Reporter, my mind was filled with questions like where is Mardan Palace? What is the President’s Room like? And is that chair literally made out of gold?
(Please play before continuing.)
The Mardan Palace is a 7-star luxury hotel in Lara, Antalya, Turkey, built by Azerbaijani businessman Telman Ismailov. Wikipedia tells me that Mardan is considered Europe’s and the Mediterranean’s most expensive luxury resort. I didn’t even know the scale went up to 7 stars.
The palatial palace cost $1.4 billion to build, which would take Ovi 140 years to earn on his salary. The hotel has 560 rooms, a gigantic gym, and its own beach containing 9,000 tons of sand imported from — yup, you guessed it – The Moon Egypt. 10,000 meters of gold, 500,000 crystals, 23,000 meters of Italian marble were used in the construction of the hotel. All that for 1 Russian machine.
Then there’s the spa. Gary Edwards of The awful Daily Mail explains his experience:
The spa was so large, I lost [my wife] there one afternoon. She had a VIP card that allowed her access — through a secret path hidden by a wall of water — to a sumptuous inner sanctum, which included a private bar, rooms, beds and Jacuzzis.
Maria’s gotta love that.
The Mardan Palace started taking bookings on May 23, 2009, and the grand opening was attended by celebrities such as Mariah Carey, Sharon Stone, Richard Gere, Monica Bellucci, Paris Hilton, Seal, and Tom freaking Jones.
There are four presidential suite rooms (1 Anatolian style and 3 European style) in the entire hotel and they are the most luxurious and expensive rooms to stay in. Here’s a 360-degree tour of the Anatolian style room.
The Anatolian President’s Suite has two rooms, including a living room with sofa, pool table, bar, pool for 8 people, king size bed, fitness center with a sauna, Turkish bath, toilet, terrace with whirlpool, and a beautiful panoramic view. It’s 238-square meters of living space. The European Presidents are similar, just slightly smaller.
Why Turkey? Fedor Fedin says many Russians travel there for vacation. It is somewhat close to home, but far enough out of the country to keep travel expenses low and privacy high. As a cultural gateway between the east and west, many people there speak Russian, and the climate’s warm (think Florida but with less Creed), and the country is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea.
So yeah, Ovechkin’s living it up. It’s reassuring to know that, should Washington’s most valuable asset tire his legs from climbing the social ladder, there will be 136 masseuses waiting to massage the soreness right out of him.
(Photos via aquatravel.ro)
Photo credit: @mkirilenko
Way back in September of 2011, Alex Ovechkin was in New York City for a preseason press junket with a bunch of other NHL stars. I’m sure you remember the event: Ovi wore a Nike t-shirt (an unsightly one at that) to what was basically a Versace event.
Ovechkin was still given the royal treatment anyway, landing free tickets to the US Open. Ovechkin had never been to a tennis match, but something deep inside Ovi’s considerable core must have told him he should go.
“Destiny,” Ovechkin later said of that very important decision to Sports Illustrated’s Sarah Kwak. “I believe in destiny.”
Kwak explains what happened next in her feature for SI.
Ovechkin wandered over to a practice court where Maria Kirilenko was warming up with her doubles partner, Nadia Petrova. They were fellow Russians, so Ovechkin struck up an easy conversation. He insists he wasn’t nervous about approaching the blonde beauty, but Kirilenko thinks he was, a little. “When are you guys playing?” he finally asked.
And so Ovechkin sat in the grandstand at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and watched the women’s doubles semifinal. (Kirilenko and Petrova lost to Vania King and Yaroslava Shvedova 6–7, 6–2, 3–6.) He and Kirilenko exchanged numbers, untroubled by the inconvenience of living thousands of miles and an ocean apart—he in D.C., she in Moscow.
“Our connection was over the phone, over Skype,” Kirilenko said last Thursday in Russian through SI reporter Anastassia Smorodinskaya. “For a long time we didn’t actually see each other, but even with the distance between us, it felt like we had known each other for a long time.”
A little under two years later, the two got engaged while celebrating the new year in Russia.
On Sunday, Maria tweeted out a photo of where her and Ovi first met: at practice court 5 in Flushing Meadows with doubles teammate Nadia Petrova.
Too cute.
GIF by welshhockeyfan.
On Friday (but taped on Tuesday), Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin appeared on Russian Channel One’s late night show, Evening Urgant. Hosted by popular comedian (and actor and musician) Ivan Urgant, the show — which closely resembles Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno — features jokes and skits from Urgant, celebrity interviews, and musical guests.
The Russian machine, making his first appearance on a late-night show in his career, spoke about the upcoming Winter Olympics in Sochi and revealed more about his engagement to Maria Kirilenko. For example: Ovi allowed her to pick out a ring before he took the plunge. “So, she chose the ring,” Ovechkin explained. “I never said that I’m gonna propose on that day. Just pick a ring. I’ll think about if I’ll buy it or not.”
Ovechkin participated in skits as well. Ovi used a hockey stick (with a spoon taped to the blade) to feed Urgant tiramisu pie. “The stick may not only be a weapon,” Urgant joked. The interview continued while they fed each other. Wacky.
Ovechkin feeds Urgant pie at 37:40.
Created by welshhockeyfan. View more GIFs of Ovi’s appearance.
Ovechkin also appeared at the beginning of the broadcast to help make a joke about circumcision.
[Ovi and Urgant measure sticks.]
Ivan Urgant: Your [stick] is longer.
Alex Ovechkin: Yours is cut.[awkward pause]
Ivan Urgant: Oh yeah, the stick.
During Ovechkin’s interview (23:50 in the video), he talked about how he spent his summer and his relationship with Maria Kirilenko.
Ivan Urgant: How did you, a winter sport player, spend your summer?
Alex Ovechkin: I was resting, traveling to different countries. Tennis countries.Ivan Urgant: The question arises whether you traveled alone, Sasha.
Alex Ovechkin: Nope, we had a big team. There were three people. (Laughs.)Ivan Urgant: I was expecting you to say that you traveled with Masha Kirilenko. Who was on the team?
Alex Ovechkin: Her father, personal coach, Masha, and me.Ivan Urgant: Am I right that her father and personal coach have to travel because Masha has to practice?
Alex Ovechkin: Sure. Her father is her coach, in fact. Same person.Ivan Urgant: Alright. Most importantly, does Masha know he is?
Alex Ovechkin: Sure.Ivan Urgant: It would’ve been quite the surprise. “I am yout father, Masha”. I wated to know, where you were?
Alex Ovechkin: In France, in London.Ivan Urgant: It’s in…
Alex Ovechkin: Europe.Ivan Urgant: Are you testing my geography knowledge?
Alex Ovechkin: You better not test mine.Ivan Urgant: I’m not gonna do it.
Alex Ovechkin: That’s right.Ivan Urgant: But have you been to the beaches this summer?
Alex Ovechkin: Sure, we were in Turkey. I’m on vacation, but it’s in a midst of a season for her. We found time and went to Turkey with friends.Ivan Urgant: How do the people like you, real men, not only looking like real men, but also act like real men, in sports, in life, how did you propose? How did it happen?
Alex Ovechkin: When you said “people like you”, I thought “that’s it, we’re getting carried away”, but it went OK here, you turned.Ivan Urgant: Usually when people say “people like you” to me, I think “that’s it, we’re getting carried away, I should’ve not worn bow tie today”. So, how did you propose?
Alex Ovechkin: It was at the New Year’s, we were at the dacha, my family, her family, my friends all came together, we were celebrating the New Year. Right as the striking clock sounded, well not exactly at that moment, but we’ve gone upstairs at our room, I fell on one knee and proposed like a gentleman.Ivan Urgant: Were you anxious?
Alex Ovechkin: Sure, I was losing my freedom.Ivan Urgant: Oh, in that sense. (Everyone laughs.)
[Co-host Alexander Oleynikov chimes in:]
Alexander Oleynikov: Sasha, are you aware that after those news, the engagement news, you took away all motivation from women’s Russian national hockey team to play? No one knows why the girls should play now.
Alex Ovechkin: For Russia, not for me.Ivan Urgant: So, Sasha [Oleynikov], you suppose that if girls go play hockey they hope to meet boys from hockey someday? Do you think it works like that?
Alexander Oleynikov: Why else?Alex Ovechkin: We do meet at the Olympic village, right?
Ivan Urgant: Everyone meets at the Olympic village.Alex Ovechkin: Get to know each other…
Alexander Oleynikov: Marry…Ivan Urgant: That’s a slogan: “Olympic village. We meet.” So you chose the ring, those were some special words.
Alex Ovechkin: Well, she chose the ring.Ivan Urgant: So she knew.
Alex Ovechkin: Of course she did (audience laughs). Well, wait, it’s not all that bad here.
Ivan Urgant: We think it’s all very good here. You’re the first one to talk about the magic process of engagement on our show. Thanks for that.Alex Ovechkin: I like to be the first.
[...]
Alex Ovechkin: So, she chose the ring. I never said that I’m gonna propose on that day. Just pick a ring. I’ll think about if I’ll buy it or not.Ivan Urgant: That’s important. How long were you thinking to buy it or not. Were you surprised by the ring?
Alex Ovechkin: My good friend made it so it was okay. You need to have people everywhere.
Finally, Ovechkin also gave Urgant a present (36:09 of the video): a white Russian Olympic jersey. To return the favor, Urgant played a video he made for him. It’s a photo from RMNB where Ovi’s teeth animate along with organ music.
Additional reporting by Ian Oland.
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is getting married to Maria Kirilenko. We know that; there’s a ring. But what about the date? Up until now, there has been nothing but speculation and rumors. Some of those rumors, to Ovi’s bemusement, implied that he had allegedly cancelled or postponed the wedding. A few days ago Ovechkin promised Sovetsky Sport’s Pavel Lysenkov a call as soon as the date is set.
Enter Troy Brouwer, who spoke to another Sovetsky Sport reporter, Leonid Varshavsky, on Tuesday.
Brouwer was asked if he’d ever been to Russia.
Not yet. But I hope to go there next summer. Because Sasha has his wedding, and he promised to invite the whole team. Not sure everybody would be able to make it, but I think I will be able to see Moscow.
The whole Caps team at Ovi’s wedding? Glorious, untold pixels. Can’t wait.
College sweethearts Mick Klock and Haley Buckheit are huge Washington Capitals fans. Their first real date was Game One of the Caps/Rangers playoff series last year. Mick was already a huge fan of the sport, and after that night Haley was one too.
Since then, the couple, who both live in Pennsylvania, have come down to D.C. for Caps games and bought a partial season ticket plan with the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears.
Mick and Haley wanted to have a couple’s Halloween costume, preferably one that honored their favorite team. They decided to dress up as supercouple Alex Ovechkin and Maria Kirilenko. Their costumes are perfect from the blacked-out tooth to the tennis racket.
Mick tells me he dropped north of $500 to get the costumes. “I play ice hockey on a team that has Toronto colors, so I justified my purchases based on the fact that I will actually use the hockey gear this season.” That also explains the choice of Dynamo blue instead of Caps red.
Cheapest part of the costume? $1 for the tooth black.
Haley’s tennis costume cost a pretty penny as well. “Maria wears a lot of Adidas, so Haley tried to stay true to that,” Mick explained. “Her skirt, shirt, and tennis jacket cost a bunch too.”
Mick and Haley have gotten positive feedback since posting the photos on their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram profiles. “Our friends love the costumes,” Mick exclaimed. “I’ve been getting comments from people I haven’t talked to in years saying how awesome the idea is.”
Mick says meeting Ovechkin one day would be a dream, something he’s already put on his bucket list. Tonight, however, when he and Haley go out trick or treating, they risk defrauding people who might think they are actually hockey’s gr8est couple.
“Hopefully, Alex and Maria see our costumes on Twitter and get a good laugh,” Mick concluded.
I hope they do too. Stay perfect, you two.
Maria at the Caps game last Tuesday. (Photo via maria-kirilenko)
Alex Ovechkin’s main squeeze is a big deal. Maria Kirilenko is ranked 19th in the world in women’s singles tennis. Like her fiance, she is a serious competitor and a world traveler– playing tournaments all around the globe every year. Alex and Maria have a lot in common– except for location. In a recent interview with Glamour Magazine, Kirilenko details how she and Ovi keep in touch when they’re apart (it involves selfies) and how she manages her competitive spirit.
I have your translation below.
You became a pro when you were just 15 years old. Did it affect your sense of self? Did it make you feel more grownup?
Unquestionably, when you work a lot, travel around many countries, you grow up early, gain experience much faster than any other teenager, who is spending the time at home with computer while his parents are fussing around him.
But you are also often accompanied to tournaments by your dad. Maybe you are still a child as well?
You know, ever since childhood I tried to solve my own little problems by myself, in preschool I always was looking after the kids – even though I could not really do anything yet. And then I went on travel with my team for the first time when I was eight years old. Imagine: you have to do your laundry by yourself, you have to comb your hair by yourself, you have to eat by yourself. Everything by yourself, since childhood. Then later my mom and dad started travelling with me. Now, of course, my family’s support is important to me. If I am playing by myself, it is difficult psychologically. For example, there was a situation, when my dad didn’t get his visa on time, so I had to go to a tournament by myself. The first match was extremely difficult, and I really wanted my dad to join me as soon as possible.
You started in ballet, then ballroom dancing, then tennis. Was all this practicing wearing on you?
This is how I recall it: whatever I came up with, I’d do and I would get it done. I do not remember a single day when I would wake up and think: “No, I am tired, I don’t want [to do it] anymore”. I am a disciplined person: I open my eyes and get up, never lay around in bed. I always kept an eye on myself, never any pants with drooping knees or sagging tights. Ii is just something natural for me. And probably my parents’ example.
You started making money earlier than your peers. How did you spend your first prize money?
That’s when I won The US Open [junior], and got a chance to play in the adult tournament. Well, how much did they pay me… about three thousand dollars. When you make money for the first time, it is a significant amount, of course. But I gave my first prize money to charity. The Nord-Ost siege happened just then, so I gave the money to the victims of that terrorist act.
It’s a noble deed. I didn’t know about that.
Very few knew anything about it.
Maria, do you have other tennis players as friends? Sometimes you play doubles.
There are no friends on the court. Yes, we all know each other well, played with each other a hundred times, yes we are acquaintances, but we are not close to each other.
WTA tournaments are held in all of the biggest cities of the world. Where is your favorite shopping spot?
Yes, all of the tournaments are held in major cities – Paris, London, Melbourn, Rome. So if you follow the same route for ten years, you know all the god places to walk or find something beautiful. But I like Moscow the best – and it’s not just shopping. When you are abroad all the time, you want to be home.
How do you take care of yourself? You are forced to spend so much time in the sun.
90% of all the tournaments are held in mercilessly sunny conditions, so tennis players tend to age early. Especially girls from countries like Argentina or Italy – they seem to be so young, but looking older than their age. But I try to look after myself, use sunscreen. Also, my skin is quite dry, so I use moisturizer, regular one.
Do you have any pre-match rituals?
Sometime I have a good match, and subconsciously, I try to repeat what happened – go to the same restaurant, order the same food. Although it is all nonsense. You must count on yourself and not get hung up on some rituals and superstitions.
Is it true you like fishing? Isn’t it boring?
I haven’t been fishing in a while. I should find time and do it! I went fishing for the first time when I was 13-15 years old. We had a training camp in Croatia, the sea was very close to our training facility, so in our free time we borrowed some fishing rods from a friend and went fishing. That’s when I caught my first fish, and I really liked it. When the fish bites all the time – it’s fun. But a couple of times we fished from a boat, and we didn’t catch anything at all. That is not as much fun.
How do you and Alex Ovechkin find time for each other? Do you put dates on your sporting calendar?
To an observer it may seem very difficult, but in reality we see each other often. When Sasha is on break, he always goes with me everywhere, even the tournaments. And when he is playing, I try to go and see him after my tournaments.
Do you find each other interesting? You are both athletes, you have a lot in common…
Oh no, it helps us, brings us closer – we understand each other very well. two athletes, especially two talented athletes – how can that be a problem?
You have announced your engagement, but have you given a thought to your wedding dress?
I have some ideas. The dress has to be feminine, elegant. When I was a child, I thought about Cinderella’s dresses, the jewelry and glitter, but when you grow up, you start thinking about it in simpler terms. The dress just has to be incredibly beautiful – that’s all.
It will be difficult for you to make the choice without getting Alex’s advice, won’t it?
Yes, we always write to each other and send pictures. He is very busy right now, but I already sent him a picture from the studio.
Photo credit: Glamour Magazine
