Alex Ovechkin, a Russian hockey face and the Washington Capitals star, will be the first Russian to carry the Olympic  torch on its journey from Olympia, Greece, to the opening ceremony at the Sochi Games. The torch ceremony will be held on September 29.

“This is a big honor for me to be the first Russian to carry the Olympic torch,” Ovechkin said. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and something I will never forget,” added he.

The torch relay will travel through all 83 Russian regions, visiting 2,900 towns, covering approximately 56,000 kilometers for 123 days.

The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics will be held February 7-23 2014.