GRAND FORKS, N.D. (CP) - Alexander Ovechkin wears a heavy gold chain around his neck with a crucifix dangling from it.
His hockey visor is almost opaque, which has the effect of making it seem like he's wearing sunglasses on the ice.
His low-key answers in broken English during interviews may belie it, but Ovechkin is the rock star of the 2005 world junior hockey championship.
The 19-year-old winger from Moscow will be a key figure in his country's bid for a third world junior hockey championship in four years when Russia faces Canada for the gold medal Tuesday (TSN, 8:05 p.m. EST).
This is the third year Ovechkin has played in a world junior tournament. More than ever, he is playing with a confident edge to his game that was already complete.
There was no question who the first overall pick in this year's NHL draft would be as the Washington Capitals jumped at the chance to land the six-foot-two, 188-pound power forward.
Ovechkin was one of those rare 18-year-olds who was ready to play in the NHL this season if the league hadn't locked the players out.
He is tied for the tournament lead in goals and points with seven goals and four assists in five games.
His speed, power, playmaking and scoring ability demands spectators' eyes. If you're cheering against him, you might get a wink or a little hand gesture after one his goals or a win that is either endearing or infuriating. And, of course, there that visor that looks like it was taken off the helmet of a Formula One driver.
"Race car? No. I'm just a hockey player. No race car," he said.
Canada has been touted as the team to beat here, but Ovechkin is unimpressed by that prediction.
"(We) remember Halifax when all the people said Canada would win the championship," he said. "But we won and we proved to all the people that Russia is better. Tomorrow we have to play like two years ago.
"We have a good chance to win the championship this year."
The strength of this Russian team is in the forward lines, who have the speed and great passing and puck skills typical of the Russian system.
"Passing skills are the keys to our success, and speed," said winger Alexander Radulov, who plays for the Quebec Remparts and is the lone Canadian Hockey League player in the Russian lineup.
Goaltending was Russia's downfall in a quarter-final loss to Finland last year in Helsinki. Minnesota Wild draft pick Anton Khudobin has been solid in net for Russia in this tournament, giving up nine goals over five games.
He's demonstrated his ability to shut down breakaways as he didn't give up a goal in two shootout victories against the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League all-stars in November.
Canada has three lines that can score, but so does Russia. Ovechkin is a winger on the top line of Dmitri Pestunov and Enver Lisin, both Phoenix Coyotes' draft picks.
Evgeni Malkin, the second overall pick in the NHL draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, centres a line with Radulov, a first-round pick of the Nashville Predators, and Sergei Shirokov.
Washington draft pick Mikhail Ynkov, Colorado's Denis Parshin and Minnesota's Roman Voloshenko make up the third line.
Russia has beaten Canada for gold in 1999 in Winnipeg, in 2002 in the Czech Republic and 2003 in Halifax.