Alex Ovechkin launches his very own NFT collection.

They have not quite yet reached what I would consider to be mainstream appeal but there is no question that the ongoing trend of the NFT, short for non fungible token, is growing rapidly in popularity and it has now attracted one of the biggest names in the sport of professional hockey.

Today Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin will launch his very own NFT collection in partnership with Ethernity Chain, and it will be run as a 72 hour auction for a number of digital collectibles that are being created to pay tribute to Ovechkin's amazing career in the National Hockey League. 

Ethernity Chain had this to say about the NFT collection via their official website:

This Alexander Ovechkin NFT drop showcases the major accomplishments, signature gear, and proud Russian heritage of one of the greatest hockey players to ever grace the rink. Ethernity and the team at Impossible Brief sought to push the boundaries of NFT art by creating animation styles that have never been seen in the sports collectibles world before. From raising the coveted trophy to Ovi’s signature yellow-laced skates, don’t miss out on this opportunity to own a piece of sports NFT history.

It comes as no surprise to see a big name star of the NHL jumping on the NFT bandwagon, not when you consider just how much money has been invested into NFTs in general across all mediums. In the first half of 2021 alone NFT sales surpassed the $2.5 billion mark, and with that much money being made out there I fully expect that professional athletes and their agents will be very rapidly joining in on this new trend when they realize the potential that is available.

NFTs have sold for millions of dollars in some cases although hockey players have failed to generate those kind of numbers thus far. Toronto Maple Leafs star forward Auston Matthews fetched a decent price, generating nearly $200,000 with an NFT of his own, but it could very well be that Ovechkin will be the first NHL player to break the million dollar barrier with his new auction.

We wish Ovechkin nothing but the best in his newest endeavor, and we fully expect we will be seeing many more of these in the future.