Capitals star Alex Ovechkin plays grocer for a day to promote pending release of his cereal brand

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is best known for skating down the ice at breakneck speed, checking opponents and one-timing shots past helpless goalies.

He can add temporary supermarket employee to that list.

Ovechkin will have a limited-release cereal brand coming out next week, so he took up shop at an area Giant Food supermarket Tuesday to tout Ovi O’s as part of a promotional tour.

His job included stocking shelves with the cereal, which will hit real shelves on Sept. 17, and working the checkout aisle as surprised shoppers and local media recorded him and his impish style of humour.

As a stock person, he did well, though he did knock some of the competition out of the way like a true hockey player.

Still sporting the nicks and scrapes from a recent bike fall, he made his way to the checkout aisle and worked as a cashier.

He carded someone who was buying beer and made an announcement over the PA system about where to buy his cereal, but the $10 million (U.S.) player also took a while to make change for a customer.

Ovechkin’s wife, Nastya Shubskaya, also bought groceries at his aisle and he paid for them with his credit card.

The Capitals’ training camp opens Friday.