Alex Ovechkin tops Team Russia's Sochi Olympics hockey roster

MOSCOW (AP) -- Washington Capitals center Alex Ovechkin will lead Russia's hockey team at the Sochi Olympics, as the host country looks to avoid a repeat of its poor performance at the 2010 Vancouver Games.

Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings, Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nikolai Kulemin of the Toronto Maple Leafs were among 15 NHL players named Tuesday to Russia's 25-man roster.

Sergei Bobrovsky of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Colorado Avalanche's Semyon Varlamov and Alexander Yeryomenko of the KHL's Dinamo Moscow will contend for the goaltender spot.

Edmonton defenseman Anton Belov, Slava Voynov of the Los Angeles Kings and two Montreal Canadiens defensemen - Alexei Emelin and Andrei Markov - are also on the list, which includes former NHL players Alexander Radulov and Ilya Kovalchuk.

Russia was knocked out in the quarterfinals in Vancouver in 2010.

Goaltenders: Sergei Bobrovsky (Columbus Blue Jackets), Semyon Varlamov (Colorado Avalanche), Alexander Eremenko ( Dynamo Moscow, KHL)

Defensemen: Anton Belov (Edmonton Oilers), Slava Voynov (Los Angeles Kings), Alexei Emelin (Montreal Canadiens), Andrei Markov (Montreal Canadiens), Evgeni Medvedev (AK Bars, KHL), Nikita Nikitin (Columbus Blue Jackets), Ilya Nikulin (AK Bars, KHL), Fedor Tyutin (Columbus BlueJackets)

Forwards: Artem Anisimov (Columbus Blue Jackets), Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit Red Wings), Ilya Kovalchuk (SKA St. Petersburg, KHL), Denis Kokarev (Dynamo Moscow, KHL), Nikolai Kulemin (Toronto Maple Leafs), Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins), Valery Nichushkin (Dallas Stars), Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitals), Alexander Popov (Avangard, KHL), Alexander Radulov (CKA, KHL), Vladimir Tarasenko (St. Louis Blues), Alexei Tereschenko (SKA St. Petersburg, KHL), Viktor Tikhonov (SKA, KHL), Sergei Soin (Dynamo Moscow. KHL) 

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