On Monday, the Washington Spirit announced that Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin and his wife Nastya Ovechkin are investing in the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League).
In a statement given by the Capitals captain, he sounded eager to help propel women’s soccer in the nation’s capital.
“Nastya and I are very excited to join the Washington Spirit investor group,” Ovechkin said in a statement. “I’m excited to help grow women’s soccer in Washington DC. Being a huge soccer fan that I am, I can’t wait to attend the DC Spirit games and practices and help promote these great players.”
Ovechkin is the latest celebrity to invest in an NWSL team. Naomi Osaka, tennis player, invested in the North Carolina Courage in January and ESPN reporter Sarah Spain and Olympic gold medalist hockey player and development coach of the Chicago Blackhawks Kendall Coyne Schofield invested in the Chicago Red Stars in March.
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The addition of Ovechkin shows the positive impact that women’s sports have in the community.
“I think it’s important to support women and women’s professional athletes — not just in the United States, but all over the world,” Ovechkin told ESPN. “It was also important for me to support the D.C. community. If I have this opportunity, I think it’s very important for me to do it, because it also shows we care.”
Ovechkin 35, is in his 16th season with the Capitals and is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The big headline this season was the climb Ovechkin had embark on to reach the all-time leader in goals, Wayne Gretzky (894). Ovechkin currently sits at 6th all-time with 730 goals, only one behind Marcel Dionne (731) in 5th place.
7️⃣1️⃣8️⃣ for #️⃣8️⃣
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 17, 2021
Alex Ovechkin now sits alone in 6th on the @NHL all-time goals list. 🚨 #NHLonSN pic.twitter.com/Vam1PtQxnJ
Maybe once the great 8 decides to walk off the ice, he will look into pursuing other sports outside of hockey.