The Sochi Olympic torch relay was historic not only because the route itself at 39,000 miles was the longest in history of the games, but also because it reached places like the North Pole, was taken into space by Russian cosmonauts, reached the peak of Europe’s highest mountain and took a dive into the world’s deepest lake.

The Olympic torch was lit by Alex Ovechkin, and the relay ended with Vladislav Tretiak, together with figure skater Irina Rodnina, lighting the Olympic cauldron. It started and ended with hockey.

But, as the viral P&G ad says where would we be without moms?

Evgeni Malkin thought his mom deserved to be one of the torch bearers. “Last year when we were in Pittsburgh, Zhenya (Geno) asked me ‘Would you be a torch bearer?’ I replied ‘Easily!’” Natalia Malkin told R-Sport.

“When I came back from Pittsburgh in the summer I started going to the gym, getting fit. Although I couldn’t last for a long time, approximately a month. I thought the distance is not that long, I will make it somehow without training.”

I wonder if having his mother as the torch bearer was in Malkin’s contract with Head and Shoulders?

Joking, of course.

But Natalia Malkin wants to return the favor. “Our presence helps Zhenya. He once told me that I am his good luck charm and bring him luck when I am in the stands. Of course we will go to all the games with Dad. What else? Even though we are always anxious during games because our son is playing! Dad can’t even sit still. If we start losing he can run away to the concourse. I keep it all inside, and he lets it all out. When we score a goal he can easily jump on someone to hug whoever is sitting next to him.”

Malkin is surely helping there will be a lot of those hugs in Sochi.