"Tell Crosby Hello"

That was what Alexander Ovechkin requested of Shelly Anderson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writer covering the Beijing Olympics, when she told him that she was from the Pittsburgh paper.

Ovechkin was flown to Beijing to promote the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Here's the entire conversation from her recent article, "The highs and lows of a Beijing night:"

Near the back, I came upon Alex Ovechkin sitting alone on a wall over a pond.

The Russians brought the Washington Capitals winger and reigning NHL MVP here to help promote the Sochi Games.

"You all by yourself?" I asked.

"No, I'm with friends," he said, although they were nowhere in sight.

I told him I was from the Pittsburgh paper and had interviewed him several times.

"Pittsburgh?" Ovechkin said, lighting up a bit. "Tell [Sidney] Crosby hello."

"What about [Evgeni] Malkin?" I asked.

"Him, too."

He told me it was a seven-hour flight from home and he would be here two or three days.

"It's for Russia," he said.