from Amie Ferris-Rotman of the Washington Post,

In August 1997, a trio of Russian hockey stars — Igor Larionov, Vyacheslav Fetisov and Vyacheslav Kozlov — brought the Stanley Cup to Red Square, where they hoisted it above their heads to celebrate the NHL title won by their team, the Detroit Red Wings.

They posed near St. Basil’s Cathedral and even took the silver prize to be photographed in front of the mausoleum of Vladi­mir Lenin. The Stanley Cup has made the journey to the Russian capital at least three more times since — including as recently as last year, when Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins brought it to Moscow’s hockey museum.

Now all eyes are on Russian Alex Ovechkin, the captain of the Washington Capitals who has led his team to its first Stanley Cup finals appearance since 1998 — which, coincidentally, the Red Wings won in a four-game sweep for their second straight title. With Washington holding a 2-1 series lead on the Vegas Golden Knights heading into Monday night’s Game 4 at Capital One Arena, will the 32-year-old be able to help his team win two more games and then bring the Stanley Cup to Moscow? With a solid fan base at home, Ovechkin, an enthusiast of Russian President Vladi­mir Putin, is a source of enormous pride among Russian hockey fans.

continued