Alex Ovechkin Crashes Saint Petersburg Wedding Shoot After 64-Point Season

Q: Why did a newlywed couple mistake the NHL's greatest goal scorer for a hotel janitor on their wedding day?

They mistook Alex Ovechkin for a hotel janitor because he unexpectedly walked through their wedding shoot carrying a hockey stick, not wearing hockey gear, and appeared to be just another person moving through the staircase area. According to accounts that surfaced after the video spread online, the couple said they were briefly confused when Ovechkin entered the frame during their photo session at a hotel in Saint Petersburg. In that moment, the stick made him look less like a celebrity athlete and more like a staff member carrying equipment. Only after a closer look did they realize the surprise guest was the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer. The scene happened while Ovechkin was back in Russia for the offseason and taking part in the Match of the Year, a charity exhibition featuring NHL and KHL players. The photographer kept shooting as he passed through, turning the mix-up into an unusual wedding keepsake. The couple later described the encounter as “destiny” and a once-in-a-lifetime gift. What began as a case of mistaken identity became a memorable celebrity photobomb involving one of hockey’s most recognizable stars.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 30

Saint Petersburg hotel guests got an unexpected wedding-photo cameo when Alex Ovechkin wandered into a couple’s shoot carrying a hockey stick during his Russia offseason.
The NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer was in the city for the charity "Match of the Year," a game featuring NHL and KHL players that also drew social-media attention for Matvei Michkov’s Michigan-style goal.
Ovechkin is due back in the United States in a little over a month for Washington Capitals training camp after playing all 82 games and posting 64 points last season.
Earlier this month, the 40-year-old signed a one-year deal to return to Washington, which missed the playoffs but added Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou and Boone Jenner in the offseason.