Alexander Ovechkin gave Spencer Carbery and the Capitals an unusual summer headline after reportedly piling up traffic fines back home in Russia.
The Washington captain received 33 traffic fines during roughly four months in Russia, with the violations tied to his Aurus Arsenal minivan.
The reported total reached 82,000 rubles. The infractions included speeding, unpaid parking and stopping or parking in restricted areas.
Ovechkin has reportedly settled nearly the entire bill already. Of the 33 fines, only one remained unpaid as of Monday.
That outstanding ticket was worth 4,500 rubles, making this more of an eyebrow-raising summer story than a serious legal situation for the Capitals star.
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Still, 33 separate fines get attention when the driver involved is one of hockey's most recognizable players and the longtime face of Washington's franchise.
Ovechkin's summer creates an unexpected Capitals headline
The violations were reportedly attached to Ovechkin's Aurus Arsenal, a high-end Russian minivan carrying the distinctive registration number 008.
There has been no indication that the matter involves an arrest or anything beyond traffic and parking violations. The issue is the sheer volume accumulated over one offseason.
That's an important distinction with training camp approaching. Carbery isn't dealing with a hockey suspension, an injury absence or a roster question connected to the situation.
Instead, Ovechkin will return to Washington with another strange chapter attached to a summer that was supposed to bridge one NHL season to the next.
For the Capitals, the focus will quickly shift back to the rink once camp begins. Ovechkin remains their captain, and Carbery's bigger concern will be how much offensive production he can squeeze from his veteran winger.
But the story has already travelled well beyond Russia because of the number attached to it. One or two tickets can disappear into an offseason. Thirty-three become a headline.
Ovechkin has paid 32 of them, according to the report, leaving just one unresolved fine and a summer driving record that will follow him back to Washington.
Should Alex Ovechkin face criticism for piling up 33 traffic fines?
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