Latest news with #AlexanderZemlianichenko
The Star
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Myanmar military chief calls for heightened security ahead of election
FILE PHOTO: Myanmar's military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing attends a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the Kremlin Wall in central Moscow, Russia, March 4, 2025. Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo (Reuters) -Myanmar's military chief has called for increased security for political party members and candidates as a newly formed interim government proceeds with a planned election in December and January that has been dismissed in the West as a sham. Min Aung Hlaing, who is also the war-torn country's acting president, asked authorities to take measures for protecting politicians and voters, while warning of a rise in attacks on civil servants in the run up to the polls, the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported on Wednesday. "The Senior General highlighted that the election must be held without fail," the state-run publication said, referring to comments made by Min Aung Hlaing at the first meeting of a new commission formed to hold the polls. With opposition groups either barred from running or refusing to take part, the planned election has been dismissed by Western governments as a move to entrench the generals' power and is expected to be dominated by proxies of the military. Military-backed authorities last year held a nationwide census in an effort to create voter rolls but were only to able to conduct on-ground surveys in 145 out of Myanmar's 330 townships. Myanmar's military this month nominally transferred power to a civilian-led interim administration to conduct the election, four years after Min Aung Hlaing led a coup that unseated an the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. The takeover triggered widespread protests and eventually sparked a civil war, where an array of established ethnic armies and newly-formed armed groups are battling the well-armed military on multiple frontlines. In Tuesday's meeting in the capital Naypyitaw, officials reviewed military operations in preparation of the polls and reinforcing security through the formation of "people's security" groups, the newspaper said. A military-led council last month also introduced new electoral laws aimed at improving security, containing punishments ranging from a minimum of three years in prison to the death penalty. (Reporting by Reuters Staff; Editing by Martin Petty)
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Myanmar military chief calls for heightened security ahead of election
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: Myanmar's military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing attends a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the Kremlin Wall in central Moscow, Russia, March 4, 2025. Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Myanmar's military chief has called for increased security for political party members and candidates as a newly formed interim government proceeds with a planned election in December and January that has been dismissed in the West as a sham. Min Aung Hlaing, who is also the war-torn country's acting president, asked authorities to take measures for protecting politicians and voters, while warning of a rise in attacks on civil servants in the run up to the polls, the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported on Wednesday. "The Senior General highlighted that the election must be held without fail," the state-run publication said, referring to comments made by Min Aung Hlaing at the first meeting of a new commission formed to hold the polls. With opposition groups either barred from running or refusing to take part, the planned election has been dismissed by Western governments as a move to entrench the generals' power and is expected to be dominated by proxies of the military. Military-backed authorities last year held a nationwide census in an effort to create voter rolls but were only to able to conduct on-ground surveys in 145 out of Myanmar's 330 townships. Myanmar's military this month nominally transferred power to a civilian-led interim administration to conduct the election, four years after Min Aung Hlaing led a coup that unseated an the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. The takeover triggered widespread protests and eventually sparked a civil war, where an array of established ethnic armies and newly-formed armed groups are battling the well-armed military on multiple frontlines. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore NEL, SPLRT disruption: Electricity surge shut down backup power switchboard, says LTA Singapore HSA seeks Kpod investigators to arrest abusers, conduct anti-trafficking ops Singapore Yishun man admits to making etomidate-laced pods for vaporisers; first Kpod case conviction Opinion The 30s are heavy: Understanding suicide in Singapore's young adults Singapore Lawyer who sent misleading letters to 22 doctors fails in bid to quash $18,000 penalty Singapore 4 taken to hospital after accident near Sports Hub, including 2 rescued with hydraulic tools Asia Malaysia's anti-graft agency busts arms smuggling ring masterminded by senior military officers Singapore SG60: Many hands behind Singapore's success story In Tuesday's meeting in the capital Naypyitaw, officials reviewed military operations in preparation of the polls and reinforcing security through the formation of "people's security" groups, the newspaper said. A military-led council last month also introduced new electoral laws aimed at improving security, containing punishments ranging from a minimum of three years in prison to the death penalty. REUTERS
Toronto Sun
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
Sky's the limit when it comes to hospitality packages for 2026 World Cup
Published Jul 14, 2025 • 3 minute read FILE - In this Friday, Dec. 1, 2017, file photo, the World Cup trophy is placed on display during the 2018 soccer World Cup draw in the Kremlin in Moscow. Photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko / The Associated Press Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Tickets to the 2026 World Cup are now available for Canadians, although only for those willing to pay a premium. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The first wave of tickets comes in deluxe packages, provided by On Location, FIFA's official tournament hospitality partner. They range from $2,500 for a single-game package to the sky's the limit. Canadians will have two other ways to get match tickets, without the frills. Canada Soccer is expected to unveil its revamped Canada Red program at the end of July, with different membership levels offering access to a lottery for Canadian game tickets. The more expensive the membership, the better the odds of getting a ticket. FIFA says its ticketing program, which has taken the form of a worldwide lottery in the past, will launch in the fall. On Location is willing to make your sporting dream come true, at a price. Leah Linke, senior vice-president of event production for On Location, recalls a Super Bowl package for a well-heeled client who requested brunch with former star quarterback Tom Brady in a two-level private suite with the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I can't divulge how much they paid,' she said. Starting Monday in Canada and Mexico, On Location offers a variety of World Cup packages, with the quality of seats and hospitality service improving as the price rises. 'We are not selling tickets. We are selling experiences of a lifetime,' said Linke. 'We all know you go through life, you collect all these materialistic things,' she added. 'But when it's all said and done, what we all end up with are memories. Memories of our families, memories with our friends. And that is what our goal is _ to create memories, once-in-a-lifetime memories.' On Location offers single-match and venue series packages for all games. You can also curate your own package or follow your team in the early rounds (although not for co-hosts Canada, Mexico and the U.S.). This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Different packages offer access to a variety of private lounges, ranging from $2,500 per person for single-match access to the so-called FIFA Pavilion (outside the stadium) to $5,350 for the in-stadium Pitchside Lounge, with several other options in between. Each package offers a ticket and access to the lounge three hours before kickoff, during halftime, and two hours after the final whistle. 'All you can eat, all you can drink,' said Linke. The higher the price, the better the seat, easier access to stadium and lounge, the more premium food, drink and entertainment and the better the gift that comes with the package. Private suites are also available, although On Location did not provide pricing. If money is no concern, On Location offers the 'Platinum Access Program.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Flights or helicopter needed? No problem. Looking to take the pitch after the game to take a penalty against a star goalkeeper? They can make it happen. 'This truly is the creme de la creme … The sky really is the limit,' said Linke. Linke boasts that On Location is partnering with Michelin-star and James Beard Award-winning chefs, plus a consortium of 'guest experience experts' and a 'team of mixologists.' She expects On Location to service more than a million fans across the tournament's 104 games at 16 different venues. The expanded 48-team competition features 13 games each in Canada and Mexico and the remaining 78 in the U.S. The 28th-ranked Canadian men will open June 12 at Toronto's BMO Field before shifting to Vancouver for its remaining group games June 18 and 24 at B.C. Place Stadium. Should Canada win its group, it would stay in Vancouver for the Round-of-32 game and, if it wins that, stay put for the Round-of-16 contest. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. On Location was originally spawned by the NFL, looking to take advantage of the secondary market. It was eventually purchased and expanded by Endeavor Group Holdings, formerly William Morris Endeavor and WME-IMG, in January 2020 for a reported US$660 million. Linke says On Location provides hospitality to some 36,000 on Super Bowl Sunday. It was also the official hospitality partner for the Paris Olympics. It will repeat the role at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, and 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. It also provides hospitality packages from everything from Major League Baseball and NASCAR to the UFC and WWE. On Location has already started selling tournament packages south of the border. 'And I've got to tell you, they are already flying off the shelf,' said Linke. Columnists Letters Golf Uncategorized Editorial Cartoons
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Reminders of Alex Ovechkin's goal record chase are everywhere around Washington — and in Russia
A billboard depicting Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin marking his NHL career goals with the words reading "Ovechkin is always first!" is set in a street in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) A billboard depicting Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin marking his NHL career goals with the words reading "Ovechkin is always first!" is set in a street in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) FILE - Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) walks off the ice after warm ups before a NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks, Saturday, March 15, 2025 in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar, File) FILE - Alexander Ovechkin, of Russia, puts on a Washington Capitals hat after being selected as the first overall pick of the NHL Draft, Saturday, June 26, 2004, at the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/ Karl DeBlaker, File) FILE - Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) watches from the bench during an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong, File) FILE - Alexander Ovechkin, 19, the Washington Capitals' 2004 number one draft pick, holds up his team jersey during a news conference at the MCI Center in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005, to announce his signing with the team. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File) FILE - Alexander Ovechkin, of Russia, speaks to the media during a NHL hockey news conferece, Friday, June 25, 2004, in Durham, N.C., prior to the NHL draft. AP Photo/ Karl DeBlaker, File) FILE - Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin, from Russia, holds up the Stanley Cup trophy during the NHL hockey team's Stanley Cup victory celebration, Tuesday, June 12, 2018, at the National Mall in Washington. The U.S. Capitol rises in the background. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) A man wearing a suit of mascot of Dynamo hockey club hangs digits showing number of goals scored by Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin in his NHL career at the VTB Arena – Dynamo Central Stadium in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov) A man wearing a suit of mascot of Dynamo hockey club hangs digits showing number of goals scored by Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin in his NHL career at the VTB Arena – Dynamo Central Stadium in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov) A man wearing a suit of mascot of Dynamo hockey club hangs digits showing number of goals scored by Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin in his NHL career at the VTB Arena – Dynamo Central Stadium in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov) A screen depicting Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin marking his NHL career goals with the words reading "Sasha, we are with you", in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) People pass by a billboard depicting Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin marking his NHL career goals with the words reading "Ovechkin is always first!" in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov) People walk past the installation of a countdown clock marking Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin's NHL career goals with the words reading "Sasha, the Motherland is with you!", Tuesday, March 25, 2025, in Moscow, Russia. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov) People walk past the installation of a countdown clock marking Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin's NHL career goals with the words reading "Sasha, the Motherland is with you!", Tuesday, March 25, 2025, in Moscow, Russia. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov) A man wearing a suit of mascot of Dynamo hockey club hangs digits showing number of goals scored by Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin in his NHL career at the VTB Arena – Dynamo Central Stadium in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov) A man wearing a suit of mascot of Dynamo hockey club hangs digits showing number of goals scored by Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin in his NHL career at the VTB Arena – Dynamo Central Stadium in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov) A billboard depicting Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin marking his NHL career goals with the words reading "Ovechkin is always first!" is set in a street in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) A billboard depicting Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin marking his NHL career goals with the words reading "Ovechkin is always first!" is set in a street in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) FILE - Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) walks off the ice after warm ups before a NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks, Saturday, March 15, 2025 in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar, File) FILE - Alexander Ovechkin, of Russia, puts on a Washington Capitals hat after being selected as the first overall pick of the NHL Draft, Saturday, June 26, 2004, at the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/ Karl DeBlaker, File) FILE - Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) watches from the bench during an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong, File) FILE - Alexander Ovechkin, 19, the Washington Capitals' 2004 number one draft pick, holds up his team jersey during a news conference at the MCI Center in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005, to announce his signing with the team. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File) FILE - Alexander Ovechkin, of Russia, speaks to the media during a NHL hockey news conferece, Friday, June 25, 2004, in Durham, N.C., prior to the NHL draft. AP Photo/ Karl DeBlaker, File) FILE - Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin, from Russia, holds up the Stanley Cup trophy during the NHL hockey team's Stanley Cup victory celebration, Tuesday, June 12, 2018, at the National Mall in Washington. The U.S. Capitol rises in the background. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) A man wearing a suit of mascot of Dynamo hockey club hangs digits showing number of goals scored by Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin in his NHL career at the VTB Arena – Dynamo Central Stadium in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov) A man wearing a suit of mascot of Dynamo hockey club hangs digits showing number of goals scored by Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin in his NHL career at the VTB Arena – Dynamo Central Stadium in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov) A man wearing a suit of mascot of Dynamo hockey club hangs digits showing number of goals scored by Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin in his NHL career at the VTB Arena – Dynamo Central Stadium in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov) A screen depicting Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin marking his NHL career goals with the words reading "Sasha, we are with you", in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) People pass by a billboard depicting Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin marking his NHL career goals with the words reading "Ovechkin is always first!" in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov) People walk past the installation of a countdown clock marking Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin's NHL career goals with the words reading "Sasha, the Motherland is with you!", Tuesday, March 25, 2025, in Moscow, Russia. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov) People walk past the installation of a countdown clock marking Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin's NHL career goals with the words reading "Sasha, the Motherland is with you!", Tuesday, March 25, 2025, in Moscow, Russia. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov) A man wearing a suit of mascot of Dynamo hockey club hangs digits showing number of goals scored by Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin in his NHL career at the VTB Arena – Dynamo Central Stadium in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov) ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — The goal horn went off at Bugsy's Pizza Restaurant and Sports Bar as it does every time the Washington Capitals score a goal. Bar manager Armenia Marconi was working downstairs and scurried up to see who it was. Sure enough, Alex Ovechkin. Goal 891 to move four back of breaking Wayne Gretzky's NHL record. Marconi grabbed the remote control for the goal counter hanging above the bar, and fans inside the popular neighborhood hockey bar who were waiting in anticipation erupted again. Advertisement 'It was like he scored again,' she said. 'As soon as it went down to 4, the whole bar started cheering.' Firefighter James Mazzara, watching from home, had the same reaction. His firehouse around the corner from the Capitals' arena in Washington also has a counter out front, so he immediately texted a colleague who was working to remind him to update the number. 'We stay on top of it as much as we can,' Mazzara said. Reminders of Ovechkin's pursuit of Gretzky's record are everywhere in the nation's capital and surrounding suburbs, including more than a dozen 'GR8 Chase' goal counters in places like the original Ben's Chili Bowl and the Georgetown Waterfront, where the longtime captain and his teammates celebrated winning the Stanley Cup in 2018 by swimming in fountains. There are also 'ight-up goal counters and messages of encouragement in Ovechkin's hometown of Moscow as his pursuit of the milestone nears its end. Advertisement He was at 892, two away from tying Gretzky and three from setting the record going into a home game Friday night against Chicago. 'You're not stopping it,' said veteran coach Paul Maurice of the Florida Panthers. 'He's going to break the record. It is an incredible record. This is beyond generational because nobody was breaking that record.' The GR8 chase It feels more like matter of when, not if, Ovechkin passes Gretzky's legendary mark of 894, considered by many to be untouchable. The Capitals have seven games left before the playoffs, which means Ovechkin has seven games left because the record reflects only regular-season goals. Otherwise, he would pick up the pursuit next season. Advertisement The NHL created an entire microsite to document the chase. The Capitals have an online way for people to check in from where they are watching from. There are free lawn signs to display. 'We knew when thinking about the (Washington area) and even across the world that people would want to be counting together, so digital is one thing, but there's certainly something special about having the more traditional countdown clock,' said Amanda Tischler, Capitals senior VP of marketing. '(The hope was) these different places across the city would have fun counting down until he hits this major milestone.' Goal counters went to more than a half-dozen youth hockey rinks in Maryland and northern Virginia, national NHL TV rightsholders ESPN and TNT and to local institutions with Capitals connections, like Ben's Chili Bowl, which has been a local staple since opening in 1958. 'We're honored to have one of the goal trackers at Ben's,' said Vida Ali, one of the family members who runs the restaurant. 'When the Capitals won the Stanley Cup in 2018, this is one of the places they brought the Stanley Cup. Now another exciting moment, and what an amazing time for the Caps and Ovi.' Advertisement The GR8 meaning The Cup also visited Mazzara's firehouse, DCFD-Engine 2 & Rescue Squad 1, seven years ago, and it's still a place where the Capitals are front of mind. It is so close to the arena that the goal horn can be heard from just outside the front ramp on quiet days. 'We'll hear that and then we'll go running in the back or we'll be watching it — we have a TV in the engine bay — and we'll watch it and in the distance you can hear the horn go off,' said Mazzara, the rescue squad wagon driver for platoon No. 4. 'It's just so much fun to watch. It's fun to see the city come together, all the fans. It takes you away from real life. You go out there, and everybody's enjoying it.' The mood is likewise festive at Bugsy's, the pizza place opened by former Capitals player Bryan Watson and his wife in 1983 and later rebranded with his nickname from his NHL days. Watson died in 2021, but his memory lives on. Advertisement 'He'd come up here all the time and just sit down with customers — sometimes you didn't even know he was the owner, much less a hockey player,' said Marconi, who knew Watson for a decade. 'He's still part of Bugsy's and people come in all the time asking to see his pictures and the stories that were left behind because of him. There's a lot of stories that I still tell that he used to tell me, and the connection there, it's unbreakable.' The goal counter hangs above the bar with sticks underneath from Hall of Fame legends Jean Beliveau, Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull. Ovechkin passed Beliveau (507 goals) with a hat trick on Feb. 11, 2016; Mikita (541) on Dec. 31 that year; and Hull (610) on Oct. 10, 2018. Nearby are framed jerseys of Mario Lemieux (690), who Ovechkin passed Jan. 18, 2020, and Mark Messier (694), who was passed 13 days later. 'The town is going crazy,' Marconi said. "There's people who have been coming here for 30-plus years, but to see the new faces coming in just excited about this, it's great to be part of it.' Advertisement At Ben's, the goal counter is on the back wall above the old-school jukebox and below the sign declaring it 'Home of the original chili half-smoke.' And it has become part of the tourist attraction. 'Some are curious if they're from out of town — or from out of the country, more than out of town — and they don't know,' Ali said. 'They're like: 'What's the countdown?' What are we counting down?' And then of course those from the (area) are just proud and know and guests have been taking pictures." For Russia, pride in Ovechkin Billboards, signs and goal-counters around Moscow carry messages in Cyrillic that say things like 'Go ahead, Alex!' or 'Sasha, the Motherland is with you.' His hometown team, Dynamo Moscow, has its own arena countdown going with the message in Russian, 'Alex, keep pushing.' Advertisement "He started his career here, he played for Dynamo in 2012 during the (NHL) lockout, and he is still actively participating in the life of the club,' Dynamo press secretary Nikita Bakhurov said. 'We couldn't stay aside, and spectators see this banner during every match. Everyone is following this record.' Ovechkin being in this spotlight has become a point of national pride. Ovechkin represented Russia at three Olympics, won gold at the world juniors, played in countless world championships and may still finish his career some day in the KHL. 'He's a great hockey player indeed,' Moscow resident Yulia Anisimova said. 'Even I, who is not following hockey, know him well and have heard much about him. It's not his problem that it didn't work out for him here; the problem is in our country. If there had been different conditions, he would have represented our country.' Moscow resident Sergei, who did not give his last name, said Ovechkin is 'our star," adding: "I'm proud that he is Russian. I can't wait when he breaks this record.' Advertisement Ovechkin has one more year on his Capitals contract. He has played his entire NHL career for Washington, becoming the face of the franchise who made hockey popular in the area, delivered a championship and is now on the verge of history. 'We're blessed to have him in D.C. and with the Caps,' Ali said. "Another one of the things I'm proud of is he's been with the same team his entire career. ... It's his time, and we couldn't be prouder to be a part of it." ___ AP video journalist Kirill Zarubin in Moscow contributed. ___ AP NHL:
