The former Minister of Sports of Russia, **Pavel Kolobkov**, stated that the scoring record set by Russian hockey player **Alexander Ovechkin** does not pertain to Russian sports. Last season, Ovechkin became the top scorer in NHL regular-season history, surpassing the record previously held by the Canadian forward Wayne Gretzky.

“Can we consider Ovechkin’s record as the main event in Russian sports in 2025? No, it has no connection to Russian sports at all. Yes, he is our hockey player, but what relevance does it have to our sports? It pertains to Canadian and American sports — indeed. It is an outstanding achievement, but it does not relate to our sports. Neither the Russian national team nor any specific team participated in that context. This is his remarkable personal accomplishment, and we take pride in it. However, I emphasize that Ovechkin’s record has no ties to Russian sports. Alexander has carved his name in the history of a commercial league,” Kolobkov was quoted as saying by Metaratings.ru.