Tretyak: Ovechkin Is the Best Player of the 21st Century

Vladislav Tretyak, president of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, spoke at the opening ceremony of the "Hockey Spanning 80 Years" festival in Moscow.

"Our stars from the most varied generations were the greatest athletes, the best in the world in their positions. Our team has spent decades beating the strongest opponents at the most prestigious tournaments on the planet. And this is not simply a history of feats on ice — it is also an example for the rising generations. In the 80th year of our national hockey, we look to the future. Our victories teach young people patriotism, selflessness in defending the honour of the country, the drive to be first, to learn and to work as well as possible. Young compatriots want to follow their idols because they want to be like their idols, strive for new achievements and take pride in a great country. Telling people about our hockey's achievements is important. These successes belong to Russia, and they inspire a healthy lifestyle, participation in sport, and self-improvement. Visiting the museum, guests of the hockey festival will see how the legendary victories were won. At master classes and meetings with celebrated champions, they will understand how to be the best at what they do. I would like to note the importance of the work of the Dynamo production centre, headed by Mikhail Tyurkin. They have done a great deal to make the festival turn out so well, and they constantly popularise and promote our hockey victories, making films about the glorious pages of its history. We all love hockey. It is our game, our life, our celebration. We keep alive the memory of great achievements — and that history continues. Right now, Russia is raising future Kharlamovs and Ovechkins who will bring fame to our country and our sport in competitions to come," Tretyak said.

Tretyak also visited the festival's museum exhibition and met fans and hockey enthusiasts. He called the event a highlight for those who attended.

"The hockey festival in the capital was a success. Tens of thousands of people came as guests of the celebration, compatriots of every generation: from long-time supporters to families with children, teenagers, and young players from hockey schools. Events like this stay in the memory for a lifetime. Hockey is our national pride, an important part of Russian identity and a symbol of our homeland in sport. It embodies the enduring traditions of our great people, their ability to be first in everything and everywhere, to do what other countries cannot. Russian hockey has a great history. The USSR team is the most successful side in the sport's history. Starting from 1954, seven Olympic gold medals, 22 first-place finishes at world championships. In 1972, during the legendary Summit Series, we broke the myth that Canadian professionals were invincible. The Russian team has also had plenty of success — the triumphant 2018 Olympics, four World Championship golds in six years between 2008 and 2014. The best goaltenders in the world right now are Russian. Alexander Ovechkin, our forward, is the best player of the 21st century. We rightly take pride in our past and our heroes," Tretyak said.