Ovechkin reveals his post-game beer drinking habit

Alex Ovechkin stands as the most remarkable goal scorer that many of us have had the joy of watching during his entire career. While Wayne Gretzky remains the greatest of all time until Ovechkin surpasses 893 goals, I, having been born in 1992, have never seen a season where Gretzky scored at least 40 goals. For those of us born from 1990 onwards, Ovechkin is the greatest goal scorer we have had the privilege to see in action.

Although Alexander Ovechkin might be a goal-scoring phenomenon rarely seen before, part of his superstar charm lies in his down-to-earth personality off the ice. When he’s not playing hockey, he’s just a regular Russian guy who enjoys good food and drinks. Unlike modern athletes with strict nutrition plans of grilled chicken and broccoli, Ovechkin prefers hearty meals and enjoys beers. He’s a throwback to a bygone era in the NHL, but he’s setting an example for the next generation by keeping a fridge full of beer in the coaches’ room for post-game celebrations.

RMNB — He recently talked about the role alcohol plays in NHL locker rooms with his friend and blogger Amiran Sardarov…

“I don’t hide it,” Ovechkin said per a sports.ru transcription and a translation by Google Translate. “I like the taste of beer. I like light beer, sometimes I can drink Guinness.”

He continued, “I can’t imagine a [player] who says he doesn’t drink, ‘he quit.’ You can take a break for a certain time, but after the game, 2 to 3 cans of beer – with pleasure. It’s useful. In Washington, we have a refrigerator with beer in the coaching room. It’s normal.”

After games, it’s not a protein shake and an ice bath for recovery; it’s a few cans of light beer and maybe a Guinness with dinner while he’s mixing sauces. If it wasn’t so frowned upon, I’m sure he’d include a post-game locker room cigarette in his routine too. With 853 career NHL goals, he follows the same post-game rituals as you and your beer league buddies.

Phil Kessel holds the record for the most consecutive games played in NHL history, and he drinks a 2-liter of Coca-Cola every day. Alexander Ovechkin is on the verge of breaking the record for the most career goals in NHL history, and he enjoys a few beers after every game. Don’t ever tell me that hockey players aren’t the biggest freak athletes in sports.