"His shots break bones, legs": Flyers' D-man Egor Zamula gets 100% real about defending Alex Ovechkin

Egor Zamula and Alex Ovechkin are both Russian NHL players, but their careers are at different stages. Zamula, 25, is a defenseman for the Philadelphia Flyers and is still working to find his place in the league. Ovechkin, 39, is a veteran left winger and captain of the Washington Capitals.

Zamula played alongside Ovechkin in a 15-3 win during the 2025 “Match of the Year,” an annual game between NHL and KHL players. After the game, Zamula spoke to Sov-Sport about the experience of playing Ovechkin.

“Yes, that's the only joy, that you didn't have to play against him in the minority,” he said.

Zamula explained that defending Ovechkin is never easy.

“You know who to pass to, who can score,” he said. “His shots break bones, legs.”

He remembered past injuries from teammates trying to block Ovechkin’s shots.

“We had a couple of defenders sit under his shots a year ago, two years ago, and they were all out for a long time," Zamula added. "Therefore, before sitting down, you either need to do it correctly, or you need to think about how to intercept the puck.”

Ovechkin remains a scoring threat even at 39. In the 2024–25 regular season, he scored 44 goals and added 29 assists. He finished with 73 points and a +15 rating. He tied for third in goals across the NHL.

Zamula admitted that Ovechkin’s scoring ability is hard to stop.

“How to defend against Ovechkin? You see, for many years now Sasha Ovechkin has been scoring almost every game,” he said. “It is difficult to find a way to contain him.”

In the playoffs, Ovechkin started strong with three points in Game 1 against Montreal. But he went scoreless in four games during the second round against Carolina. His average ice time in the playoffs was around 17 minutes.

Alex Ovechkin reacts to being compared with Michael Jordan

Alex Ovechkin was asked if he feels as popular as Michael Jordan in Washington, D.C. or Moscow. He quickly dismissed the idea, saying:

“Of course, there is no such thing, but if you compare me with Michael Jordan, then it’s like night and day. Jordan is the greatest, the same as my mother in basketball."

Ovechkin, a longtime fan of Jordan, added:

“Why elevate yourself? You have to stay grounded.”

At the moment, Ovechkin is in his hometown preparing for the upcoming 2025–26 NHL season.

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Edited by Krutik Jain