Before they played in 20,000 seat arenas they practiced on frozen ponds Most of today's greatest hockey players started out as kids carving up outdoor ice rinks They had early morning practices and long road trips Before faking out goalies in the National Hockey League NHL they tried their best moves on their friends and neighbors Every blistering slap shot and punishing hit today is the result of all that work long ago Every star's journey is different but they all have one thing in common They all had to work hard to become the best hockey player
SHOOT A WRIST SHOT LIKE ALEX OVECHKIN With the puck on his stick Alex Ovechkin is the most dangerous player in the NHL He gets up to speed quickly then uses his size and speed to drive toward the net A defenseman goes into a slide to try to block his shot But Ovechkin waits for the defender to skid past him then fires a wicked During his first 11 NHL wrist shot He's picked out his seasons Ovechkin led the league in goals target perfectly It's another goal six times for Ovechkin Ovechkin grew up in Russia He idolized NHL players such as Mario Lemieux He dreamed of playing in the same league someday The Washington Capitals chose Ovechkin first overall in the 2004 NHL draft In his first season he scored 52 goals and won the Calder Memorial Trophy as Alex Ovechkin heads up the ice in the 2011 NHL Winter Classic
