- Ovechkin says his Spicy Italian Subway habit started at a gas station about 10 years ago
- The Great 8 ranked McDonald’s his No. 1 fast food, with Subway second and hot dogs third
- Read below for the full story and video of Ovechkin’s Subway run in New York
Alex Ovechkin has a Subway order, and now we know how it became a Capitals road-trip institution.
The Great 8 stopped by a 24-hour Subway in New York this week for FONBET’s “FONtour 2026 World Cup” series, grabbing one of his famous sandwiches for former Russian soccer star Andrey Arshavin and ex-NHL forward Nikita Filatov to taste test. Ovechkin was in town for Fanatics Fest and the World Cup Final. Before he walked in, he explained where the whole thing started.
“It all started, probably 10 years ago, when we would fly away on a trip. There would be a Subway at the gas station, so all the guys would stop in, and order at Subway, and that’s how it all started.”
Watch Ovechkin break down the tradition:
The order hasn’t changed. Ovechkin said he sticks with the Spicy Italian and piles on toppings and salads, and the sandwich has become part of the ritual for the whole team.
“Of course, it’s a tradition. Always the same, Spicy Italian. And I add toppings, salads.”
He also shot down the idea that someone brings the sandwiches to him. Ovechkin insisted he goes and gets them himself every time. The couple of times he forgot, the room let him hear about it.
“Several times I didn’t bring it with me, and everyone was upset.”
His teammates have turned it into a game. Every trip, the guys try to guess which toppings he loaded on that day, and any new player joining the Capitals has to take a shot at it.
Subway didn’t top his fast-food list, though. Ovechkin ranked McDonald’s first, pointing back to the massive order he put away in an early-career documentary: five double cheeseburgers, a Big Mac, a Royale, a Caesar salad, country-style fries, eight drinks and five cheese sauces.
Here’s that legendary McDonald’s haul:
Subway landed second and hot dogs came in third. It closes out a busy stretch of rankings for Ovechkin, who also listed his top five beers during a Q&A for this month’s Match of the Year charity game.
