WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin is the first NHL player to lace up custom-painted skates, though in a sport that discourages freedom of expression he may not be much of a trendsetter.

The Washington Capitals superstar celebrated the team’s Russian Heritage Night on Thursday with skates bearing Moscow’s St. Basil’s Cathedral and the U.S. Capitol. He can wear them only for pregame warm-ups after receiving special permission from the NHL and is a pioneer of sorts for just doing that.

“Obviously I want to play with them, but the league said no, so we’re just going to do warm-up,” Ovechkin said. “I think they’re sick. They’re pretty cool. It’s something new. Nobody done it before. It’s nice to be first guy.”

Ovechkin is following football players, who have embraced custom cleats for everything from breast cancer awareness to Odell Beckham Jr.’s tribute to late basketball broadcaster Craig Sager. The NFL fines players for wearing unapproved cleats, but it also instituted a “My Cause My Cleats” week during which players were encouraged to express themselves with their footwear.

If that day is coming in the NHL, it will not be any time soon. Outside of goaltender masks, the league has strict uniform rules and deputy commissioner Bill Daly said he does not expect that this will result in more widespread exceptions being made.

Ovechkin’s skates will be auctioned off and the money will go to the American Special Hockey Association. As of Thursday evening, the highest bid was $3,400.

“It’s a good thing,” Ovechkin said. “We do it for charity, and all the money goes to kids.”

— From wire reports