Alex Semin wants to rejoin the Capitals, but Ovechkin has final say

Yes, Alex Semin retired from hockey earlier this week and is now the the President of his hometown club Sokol Krasnoyarsk of the VHL (Russia’s AHL equivalent).

However, he keeps a close eye on the NHL and his former team, the Washington Capitals, especially when it comes to his close friend and captain Alex Ovechkin.

When Semin sat down with Pavel Lysenkov from the Russian outlet Match TV, he revealed how he is keeping up with Ovechkin’s numbers and his path to overtake Wayne Gretzky for first all-time in goals in NHL history.

While Capitals owner Ted Leonsis would like Gretzky to follow the team in the days leading to Ovi’s record-breaking moment, there someone else who wants to tag along.

That’s Semin, who admitted how he wants to rejoin the Capitals and travel with the club in the games leading up to Ovechkin becoming the best scorer of all times.

“If it happens, I will definitely be there,” Semin said, translated from Russian. “When there is a goal or two left before the record, I will live in America. I will go to Washington. I think a whole delegation will ride behind Ovechkin. It’s still far from that, but god hoping that it will come true.”

Semin, who posted 197 goals for the Capitals – sixth-most in franchise history, knows and appreciates the impact Ovechkin had on the city of Washington and wants to support his friend.

“Sanya created such a sport in Washington as hockey,” Semin added. “Attendance was from 10 to 11 thousand, and since Sanya started playing, every game has been sold out. He’s not the only one, of course, because hockey is a team game. But he makes sure that hockey is loved in this city. He attracts spectators to the arena, breaks records, and every second match is historical. That’s why there is such a stir.”

And Semin wants to be part of the Capitals again, when the time comes, to be with Ovi to witness history.