Ovechkin is on vacation in Latvia

#Caps stars #Ovechkin and #Semin are currently on a vacation in Jūrmala, Latvia. Ovi has became the godfather of Ilya Nikulin's son. :)

DidzisRudmanis

Reporting live from Jūrmala, this is Emily.


For those who don't know, Ilya Nikulin is Ovie's team Russia roommate and they share the Canadian Lucky Loonie digged from the ice in Quebec, sawed in two.

Boy, I wish Ovie would never take that Unlucky Loonie, it brought a lot of bad luck to him and team Russia in Vancouver.


And here's why Ovie and Semin ended up in Latvia. Ilya Nikulin's wife is Latvian, but as far as I understood she is Russian ethnically. Ilya invited Ovie to his son's baptism and to take a vacation there.

This article is dated as August 28, but there's no year, I guess the interview was taken last year in Kazan, Russia.

Last week Ilya Nikulin, the Kazan Ak Bars hockey player tied the knot. The wedding took place in Moscow, and two days later Nikulin had to go out on the ice in Novogorsk in a friendly match against Moscow Dynamo.

How did you meet your wife?
On vacation in Turkey. Ekaterina is a citizen of Latvia, we just chatted for a long time on the phone. After the wedding, we decided not to change her citizenship. It is more convenient for her and for me. Latvia is in the European Union, there is no sense to apply for a Russian passport, because now she can enter any European country freely without a visa.

Have you told her at once that you are a hockey player?
No, but even if I'd say it, it is unlikely it could make any difference. Although in Latvia hockey is very popular now.

Were there a lot of guests from the bride's side in Moscow?
We did not invite too many people, we prefered a narrow circle of friends and relatives. As a result there were probably about fifty people.

Where did you propose to her?
It was in Greece, on the island of Crete. We vacationed there this summer, I rented a yacht and on the board of the boat I asked Ekaterina to marry me.

After the World Championships in Moscow there were talks that you'd try the NHL with Atlanta. Is your wedding somehow linked with your decision to stay in Russia?
No, at that time I had not made a proposal to Ekaterina. I just decided that this year I'd still play in Russia.

As far as I understand there weren't too many hockey players at your wedding? Nobody was released from Ak Bars?
Yes, there was only one hockey player Alexander Ovechkin. Only he had a free time.

What present did Ovechkin give you at the wedding?
Sasha gave to us two travel bags. At the wedding he was not bored, he was eager to participate in virtually all wedding games. Which ones? I don't even remember, have to watch the videotape.

You don't remember? I guess it was a good party...
(Laughs) At the wedding the groom is not supposed to drink much. And I couldn't drink because the next day I had to go out on the ice.

How much it cost you to "buy" the bride?
Well, we didn't get to the money. But I had to sing and do striptease. Of course, I did not undress myself, I had a team of assistants, they had to do it for me. As of the songs, we sung almost in chorus "Team of our youth" and "Yellow-belly doesn't play hockey". In general, it was really nice party. The wedding party began at five o'clock, went on late into the night, some guests left the restaurant about two o'clock at night. Everyone enjoyed it, the guests were leaving in complete ecstasy.

Do you plan a wedding at the church? Is your wife also a Christian?
Yes, we both are the believers, but don't belong to the pious ones. The church wedding, I think, is even more serious step than a regular wedding. At least for now we haven't thought about it.

Update: EVEN MORE TO FOLLOW :-)

For now here the picture from baptism:

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