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Rob Couch
RobCouch@THNew
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Rob Couch is the Deputy Editor for the Chicago Blackhawks team site with The Hockey News. He has been writing about hockey, fantasy hockey, and betting for three years and watches as much hockey as possible. You can follow him at @RobCouch555 on Twitter.
Joined at May 22, 2024Activity
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Latest On Aliaksei Protas After Capitals Winger Suffers Skate Cut To Foot vs. Blackhawks
Amid the chaos from Alex Ovechkin tying Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL goals record on Friday was concern for the Washington Capitals, as Aliaksei Protas was helped off the ice in the third period and did not return after taking a skate cut to the foot.
Protas was in front of the crease and crossed paths with Wyatt Kaiser, who skated over Protas' left skate boot. NHL.com's Tom Gulitti confirmed the nature of the injury postgame.
The 23-year-old had his foot wrapped in the locker room and was walking around on it gingerly. He is set to be reevaluated on Washington's off day on Saturday before the team heads to Long Island.
Right now, it's unclear whether Protas will suit up for Sunday's matinee with the New York Islanders, though there's hope that the injury isn't as severe as it looked, as he wasn't initially putting much weight, if any, on his left foot.
Protas has been one of the Capitals' most impactful players this season, ranking third on the team in overall scoring with 30 goals and 36 assists for 66 points through 76 games.
His presence will be vital come playoff time and with the team already without Logan Thompson down this final stretch, D.C. wants to avoid losing another important piece of the puzzle this close to the postseason.
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A Prankster, A Fighter & A Guy Who's 'Got That Dog In Him': Brandon Duhaime Does It All For The Capitals
ARLINGTON, V.A. — As the Washington Capitals wait to take the ice and stand in the tunnel before warmups, you'll often hear barking echoing through the halls. It's coming from "Doggy..." also known as "Dewey..." also known as Brandon Duhaime.
There are multiple monikers for the Capitals tough guy, and yet, despite all of his nicknames, it's not easy for Tom Wilson to describe what Duhaime's come to mean to the group.
"I don't think you can really put it into words," Wilson said of sharing the room with Duhaime.
That's because Duhaime is one of a kind.
The 27-year-old joined Washington on a two-year contract this offseason, expected to bring grit and physicality to the mix while replacing Beck Malenstyn as Nic Dowd's go-to winger on the fourth line. He's embraced that role, and then some.
Duhaime has picked up a career-high nine goals and 11 assists for 20 points through 74 games this season. He's a hard-working winger who's not afraid to drop the mitts or stick up for his teammates, he kills penalties and he'll play whatever role is asked of him.
"It's hard to have a bad day with this job," Duhaime said, adding, "You come in with the same attitude every day. And it should be a positive attitude. Every day, coming here and doing what we do is a privilege."
Despite all he does on the ice, it's Duhaime's character and off-ice presence that's made him stand out.
"It's interesting every day, in a really good way. He's just one of the teammates that I'll remember for probably the rest of my career," Nic Dowd said.
First and foremost, Duhaime is known for his keen sense of humor and quick wit, which have taken the locker room by storm. He's a prank master who — though he denies it — is the catalyst behind an ongoing prank war in the District.
"When he gets himself with the prank, that's probably his best (trick), just to try to get himself clear of no one thinking that it's him," Taylor Raddysh said. "Like if he's putting a water cup under someone's helmet, he'll do it to himself as well, just so no one knows it was him."
Wilson, who is most frequently on the end of Duhaime's pranks, noted that the Florida native "keeps you on your toes."
"Some of the stuff that he comes up with is crazy," Wilson said, adding. "My first impression was like, 'Oh, this is going to be a long year, he's going to tire me out,' because he was coming after me from Day 1. Since then, it's just been one of those things that makes you want to come back to the rink every day."
Of Wilson, Duhaime shrugged it off. "He's an easy target."
"It's fun to poke him a little bit. Not too far, you don't want him seeing red," Duhaime joked.
Still, even though he'll pick on his teammates, he's firmly always in their corner, a team guy through and through.
"I think he's just as happy to watch his own teammates have success as he is to have personal success, which I think is hard to come by in professional sports," Dowd said.
"He's every guy's biggest cheerleader," Wilson smiled.
That optimism and positivity are contagious, and it's enough to overshadow the constant hijinks. In fact, it's his "can-do" attitude that has brought an already-close locker room even closer.
"The season can really wear on you, and the ability for him – regardless of what's going on with him — he's able to keep the rest of our teammates light, which I think is a pretty special trait of a guy at this level," Dowd said, adding, "If we're struggling with something, whether it's on the ice or off ice, Dewey maintains a positive attitude regardless... You can really tell a lot about a person when things potentially aren't going well individually or as a team, and (he's) still able to maintain that positivity."
But what really makes his teammates "respect the crap out of him" is his work ethic.
"He can have fun off the ice and he's hilarious, but when it comes to game time, he's a guy that's working his butt off every single shift," Charlie Lindgren explained.
Duhaime, a fourth-round pick who worked his way up the ranks himself, lives by the notion of "doing it the right way," which he defines as trusting the process, paying your dues and working hard. He calls the process "doing it the right way."
"Just a hard, honest game," Duhaime explained, adding, "We build offense through staying under pucks and coming up as a unit of five."
"He's just this consistent energy... he just has another level," Dylan McIlrath said, adding, "He makes everyone gravitate towards him."
Growing up, Duhaime joked that he wanted to be like Alex Ovechkin, but at the end of the day, he's "Dewey" — and that's more than enough for the Capitals.
"Dewey's just... he's in his own group," Dowd smiled.
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Ryan Leonard Moves In With Pierre-Luc Dubois To Start Capitals Tenure: 'He's Treated Me With The Most Respect'
ARLINGTON, V.A. — To start the week, Ryan Leonard was sleeping in a twin-sized bed in his Boston College dorm room. Now, the Washington Capitals rookie has the entire third floor of Pierre-Luc Dubois' D.C. home to himself.
Leonard, who signed his entry-level contract with the Capitals on Monday, has been embraced by his new teammates, and with him needing a place to live, Dubois, who is in the midst of his first year in Washington, readily offered his house to the 20-year-old.
"He's awesome," Leonard said. "He's treated me with the most respect. Took me grocery shopping, just really trying to make me feel at home."
Leonard spent the off day on Thursday with Dubois, who took him around D.C. and gave him free roam of the entire third floor of the house, which for No. 9, is a major upgrade over the B.C. dorms. The two also watched the Boston Bruins take on the Montreal Canadiens.
"He doesn't want to force anything, he wants me to be comfortable. If I'm hungry or thirsty, just do whatever I need," Leonard said. "It's definitely a little bit of an adjustment and takes some time to get used to, but it's a lot of fun."
Leonard will play in his third NHL game on Friday when the Capitals play host to the Chicago Blackhawks.
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Capitals Notebook: Beauvillier Draws Out & Roy Returns vs. Blackhawks, Lindgren Starts With Thompson Out For 'A Bit'
ARLINGTON, V.A. — The Washington Capitals will see some lineup changes on Friday against the Chicago Blackhawks, as Anthony Beauvillier will take his turn as a healthy scratch with rookie Ryan Leonard remaining in the lineup.
Beauvillier, along with Ethen Frank, took part in the scratches' skate after practice, as Taylor Raddysh will get the opportunity to draw back in after sitting out the last two games.
Matt Roy, who missed the last two games due to personal family reasons, will also make his return to the lineup as Dylan McIlrath slots back out. Alex Alexeyev remains the other scratch on defense.
Charlie Lindgren will start in goal with Logan Thompson set to "miss a little bit of time" due to an upper-body injury he suffered in the first period of Wednesday's loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Hunter Shepard is up from the AHL's Hershey Bears to back up Lindgren, who now gets the "opportunity" to see some extended time in net with Thompson on the shelf.
Here are the projected combinations:
Alex Ovechkin-Pierre-Luc Dubois-Tom Wilson
Aliaksei Protas-Dylan Strome-Ryan Leonard
Andrew Mangiapane-Lars Eller-Connor McMichael
Brandon Duhaime-Nic Dowd-Taylor Raddysh
Rasmus Sandin-John Carlson
Jakob Chychrun-Trevor van Riemsdyk
Martin Fehervary-Matt Roy
Charlie Lindgren
Hunter Shepard
Puck drop is at 7 p.m. at Capital One Arena. All eyes are on Alex Ovechkin, who is three goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL goals record.
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Capitals Recall Hunter Shepard From Hershey With Logan Thompson Injured
ARLINGTON, V.A. — The Washington Capitals recalled goaltender Hunter Shepard from the AHL’s Hershey Bears on Friday as they await further word on Logan Thompson, who suffered an upper-body injury back on Wednesday.
Thompson played the first period of Wednesday’s loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, surrendering three goals on 12 shots. It’s unclear exactly what happened, though he did collide with Taylor Hall in the crease and also took a hard shot to the head early on.
Charlie Lindgren relieved Thompson in net at the start of the second period, and Thompson didn’t return. Coach Spencer Carbery didn’t have an update postgame, but said he’d be reevaluated upon returning to D.C.
Shepard has appeared in 37 games for Hershey this season, posting a .891 save percentage and 2.81 GAA.
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Alex Ovechkin Decides He Won't Pass Wayne Gretzky With Empty-Net Goal; Capitals Respect Choice
WASHINGTON – As time ticked down against the Chicago Blackhawks, Dylan Strome asked Alex Ovechkin "about 15 times" if he was sure that he didn't want to try and score his record-breaking 895th career goal on an empty net on Friday in D.C. The Washington Capitals captain, who'd already scored twice to tie Wayne Gretzky's total of 894, shook his head.
He had the same response for coach Spencer Carbery and the rest of his teammates, adamant that he wants 895 to come with a goalie between the pipes.
"I tell Carbs right away, 'I don't want to do it.' Stromer ask me, Carly ask me, everybody ask me, 'Do you want it? Do you want it?' I said 'Let's wait,'" Ovechkin said.
Of course, his teammates had differing perspectives, and when they looked at it, didn't think it would've been all that bad to tuck in an empty-netter for sole possession of history.
"It's hard because for a hat trick goal, it's a little different. But I don't think he wanted it," Strome said, adding, "It's kind of tough to talk about and decide during a game but like you said you don't want to be the guy to shoot it into the empty net if he's looking for it to pass, but he made it pretty clear that he didn't want to get it on an empty netter and you got to respect his wishes.
"It's one of those things that the goals are goals, they all count the same. Just, you know, that video's going to be played forever, right?... I'm glad it's not (an empty-netter), I think he is, too, and we'll see what happens in the coming days."
Ovechkin had a handful of chances in the final minute of regulation, but remained at 894, comfortably atop the NHL leaderboard with No. 99. Ryan Leonard, in turn, scored his first NHL goal on the empty net.
"I'm happy for Leno. He score his first NHL goal. The kid have a great future," Ovechkin said. "Tonight is an unbelievable night for our organization, for hockey, for D.C. Wayne Gretzky saw that, and it's unbelievable."
When it comes to what Gretzky thinks, he cracked that he wouldn't have minded if Ovechkin scored an ENG for 895.
"(I'd) take all the empty-netters I could get," he said postgame.
Ovechkin will get his next chance to pass Gretzky on Sunday when the Capitals visit the New York Islanders. That said, he's not thinking too far ahead.
"How I said, it's game by game, it's shift by shift. You never know what's gonna happen," Ovechkin said. "We just gonna to continue to enjoy it and continue to do our best because we still have six games left before playoffs and our mind right now is get ready for the playoffs and play the right way in the playoffs."
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Capitals Lose Logan Thompson To Upper-Body Injury Against Hurricanes
The Washington Capitals found themselves in unfamiliar territory on Wednesday in Raleigh, trailing the Carolina Hurricanes 3-0 after a rough opening 20 minutes of play, and to make matters worse, Logan Thompson sustained an upper-body injury and is doubtful to return.
Thompson gave up three goals on the first 10 shots he faced against the Hurricanes, as Sean Walker, Jackson Blake and Seth Jarvis all converted within the first 13:21 minutes of play. Blake and Jarvis' tallies came on the power play. It is unclear when he sustained an injury, though a hard shot early on did knock his mask off, and he was also hit up high by Taylor Hall.
Thompson finished the night with nine saves on 12 shots through the first. Charlie Lindgren, who played the night before in Boston, took over the crease to start the second period.
Thompson had recently been named the Capitals' starter down the stretch, though of late, his play hasn't been what he hoped. He surrendered seven goals back in Sunday's 8-5 loss to the Buffalo Sabres and has given up at least three goals in his last four outings, including Wednesday.
Still, the 27-year-old has had a strong season, putting up a .912 save percentage through 42 games before Wednesday's showdown, along with a record of 31-5-6.
Thompson signed a six-year contract extension with Washington back in January.
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Capitals Dealt Major Injury Blow, Aliaksei Protas Week-To-Week After Skate Cut
The Washington Capitals will be without Aliaksei Protas for the next bit, as the forward has officially been listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
Coach Spencer Carbery told reporters on Long Island that Protas will not be available down the stretch after having suffered a skate cut to the left foot in Friday's win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Protas was skating in front of the net in the third period when Wyatt Kaiser appeared to glide over his left foot. The 23-year-old was helped off the ice and down the tunnel, and did not return. Postgame, he was trying to walk around on it, and had his foot wrapped up.
It's a major blow to the Capitals, who lead the Eastern Conference. Protas has been instrumental in the team's success this season, putting up 30 goals and 36 assists for 66 points in 76 games.
Washington is also missing Logan Thompson down the stretch, as the goaltender suffered an upper-body injury back on Sunday against the Carolina Hurricanes.
With Protas out, Anthony Beauvillier will draw back into the lineup on Sunday against the New York Islanders. Ethen Frank is also available as the other extra forward.
Puck drop is at 12:30 p.m. at UBS Arena.
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Hurricanes' Chatfield Won't Receive Supplemental Discipline For MMA-Style Takedown Of Capitals' McMichael
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield will not face any supplemental discipline from the NHL Department of Player Safety for his takedown of Washington Capitals forward Connor McMichael on Wednesday.
In the dying minutes of the Capitals' 5-1 loss to the Hurricanes, frustration boiled over for McMichael, who dropped the gloves with Chatfield. After wrestling, Chatfield swept McMichael's leg from behind him and spun the forward around before slamming him hard onto the ice.
McMichael appeared to feel the back of his head before getting back up. From there, the officials broke up the fight and sent both players off for fighting with game misconducts. McMichael was also given an extra roughing minor.
The play led to some questions and controversy, with critics citing a potential intent to injure with the MMA-style move. Postgame, coach Spencer Carbery didn't address the incident, though he did say there were "dangerous plays" that resulted in "temperatures rising" to end the game.
Washington and Carolina combined for 114 penalty minutes and eight misconducts through the final 7:02 minutes of regulation, as tensions flared and fights broke out between both sides.
The Capitals will get the chance to respond to Chatfield and the Hurricanes when they pay a visit to D.C. next Thursday.
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With 895 Goals, A Huge Weight Comes Off Ovechkin's Shoulders, And A New Record & Legacy Is Set
As Alex Ovechkin slid across the ice at UBS Arena, it was easy to see the weight and pressure leave his body.
Replacing it? Euphoria, pride and other emotions that the Washington Capitals captain still hasn't really processed yet.
"I still can't believe it," Ovechkin said after the game.
The 39-year-old scored his record-breaking goal — the 895th of his career — in fitting fashion from the left circle on the power play in the second period of Sunday's contest against the New York Islanders.
At that point, the game came to a standstill, as Ovechkin was mauled by his teammates and honored in a lengthy mid-game ceremony featuring his family, commissioner Gary Bettman and Wayne Gretzky himself, who was there to officially pass the torch.
Even the Islanders, including Ilya Sorokin, lined up to shake Ovechkin's hand, to get their fix of greatness.
“It's not often nowadays you get shivers out on the ice and
you truly get that crazy ‘out of body’ feeling. But to see him at center ice,
to see his kids come on the ice, to see his family out there, you just try and take
it all in because it's truly amazing," Tom Wilson said.
It's the ultimate crowning achievement, one that doesn't just immortalize Ovechkin as the greatest goal scorer to ever play the game but also takes away the outside noise, the critics, the doubters and the circus that seemed neverending.
"I think it's been incredible. I think for him there's times where it's extremely stressful. He's gotta balance everything's that he has going on with the magnitude of it with our team ,with his family, with doing the right thing for hockey," John Carlson, who assisted on No. 894, said.
"For us we're just, 'Oh, Ovi scored, that's fantastic! Awesome.' For him, he's answering questions every single night, wherever he goes, there's 20, 30 extra people in every city that are interviewing him and people are pulling him each way. I mean, he signs 100 things for people after games," he added. "Honestly, his generosity of both time and effort and willingness has been admirable to watch, too. I think with everything he has going on with the hurdles and with trying to do the right thing, say the right thing, be a human being and try to be at your best peak performance. Nobody can speak to the pressure he was under throughout that and to do what he's doing at this age is incredible, too. I think people are sleeping on that, too. Just, like, he missed two months and he might score 50 goals. Like, that's nuts. It's crazy."
Now, as Ovechkin turns the page, he gets to reflect on what it's like to sit alone on the mountaintop and to own a record that — at least right now — seems unbreakable. Just as Gretzky's 894 seemed for 31 years.
"This is
something crazy. I'm probably gonna need a couple more days or maybe a
couple weeks to realize what does it mean to be No. 1," Ovechkin said. "But I can say I'm
very proud. I'm really proud for myself. I'm really proud for my
family, for all my teammates that help me to reach that milestone and
for all my coaches. It's huge. It's unbelievable. It's unbelievable
moment and I'm happy."
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Capitals & Hurricanes Combine For 114 Penalty Minutes In Final Seven Of Regulation
Despite a 5-1 loss and a less-than-impressive showing against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Washington Capitals weren't going to leave Raleigh quietly.
In the final 7:02 minutes of regulation, the Capitals and Hurricanes combined for a whopping 114 penalty minutes, as eight different players received misconducts.
It all started when Logan Stankoven shoved Tom Wilson after the whistle, leading to an all-out scrum and Wilson dropping the gloves and going after Stankoven. Both players were given roughing penalties, and Wilson was given an extra two minutes while both of their nights ended early.
Then, just 1:28 minutes later, Nic Dowd and Mark Jankowski got into it, jawing back and forth as they received matching roughing penalties and misconducts. Jankowski received an extra two minutes for cross-checking. All the while, Brandon Duhaime and Tyson Jost dropped the gloves, and they both received fighting majors before their nights also ended early.
It took just 12 seconds for another fight to break out, as Connor McMichael then went toe-to-toe with Jalen Chatfield. Chatfield swung McMichael around and threw him to the ground, but only received a fighting major. McMichael received a fighting major and an extra roughing minor. Both were given misconducts.
Washington ultimately gave up eight power-play opportunities, with Carolina converting on three of them. D.C. went 1-for-4 on the night.
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My Morning With Gr8ness: Alex Ovechkin Sits Down To Discuss Everything But The Record
ARLINGTON, V.A. — Sitting in his stall at MedStar Capitals Iceplex, still wearing his gear, untying his trademark yellow laces and proudly wearing his No. 8 on a gold chain around his neck, Alex Ovechkin glances over.
“What’s up?” he grins casually, waving me to sit next to him.
I start our chat with a promise: nowhere in this conversation are we going to discuss Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record. He looks a bit relieved, leaning back more comfortably as he offers an unnecessary “thank you.”
It gets tedious discussing the feat, and a lot of what he has heard over the past few years has been repeated over and over, echoed by the media in city after city as he chased down No. 99.
“How do you feel about breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record? Are you going to do it? How long is it going to take you? What would it mean to you?”
And he’ll respond, in kind, with more of the same: “It’s history... It’s big numbers... Pretty cool moment… I take it day by day, game by game.”
At this point, everyone knows Alex Ovechkin, the prolific goal-scorer, now officially the greatest of all-time after surpassing the Great One for the most goals ever with 895.
But Ovechkin is more than that — and wants to be known for more than that, too.
So, who is Alex Ovechkin?
When defining himself, he shies away from the titles that have been bestowed onto him, like “superstar,” “elite talent” or “sniper” and instead keeps it simple.
“A good person,” he said, flashing his missing-tooth smile. “That’s it.”
Of course, being a generational talent was always in the cards for Ovechkin, who picked up a toy hockey stick at the age of two and refused to put it down.
“I get love in the game right away,” he said.
From there, he got on skates, and when there was no ice available, he’d be outside the facility or on the streets in front of his home in Moscow, playing every position he could with his friends: goalie, defense, winger, center. Anything to get his fill.
That said, he never thought he’d be at this point in his career. His love for hockey became something more; he wasn’t just good. He was gifted and talented beyond his years. It led him to the Russian Superleague, the highest division of hockey in Russia, at only 16 years old.
From there, things snowballed. As he lit things up with Dynamo, he turned into an overnight sensation, a household name with lofty expectations who was on track to go first overall. He was projected to change the game in such a way that the Florida Panthers tried to take him a year early, arguing that he was old enough if you didn’t factor in leap years.
He ultimately went first overall to the Washington Capitals, something he recalls being a surprise even back then.
“That’s a pretty big moment,” Ovechkin said. “I saw so many different players who could be No. 1. It’s changing all the time.”
Still, even though he was aware of the hype surrounding him and more than lived up to it, he admits that he never thought he’d be a generational talent.
“No, (I couldn’t have imagined this),” Ovechkin said. “You get to the NHL, and you just hope you’re going to play well to stay in the league and to be able to be at that level. Nobody thought like, ‘I’m going to be in this position I am right now.’ ”
It’s a hell of a position to be in; not only has he racked up 895 goals, but he’s also logged 3,735 hits, the third-most in NHL history since tracking began in 2005-06. Ovechkin has also rarely been injured, and when he has gotten hurt, he’s barely missed any time, his longest absence being 16 consecutive games.
“I’ve been lucky,” he said. “Of course every season, you have bruises, you have some little stuffs going on. You guys don’t know, but eveybody have some problems with the backs, arms whatever. It’s physical sport… keeping your body healthy is most important.”
Even more impressive is his consistency and pure goal-scoring ability; as he approaches Gretzky, he’s the NHL’s all-time leader in power-play goals (319), and even though goaltenders know his shot is coming, they still struggle to stop it. He’s scored on a record of 180 different goalies, meaning he’s beaten about 83 percent of the goalies the Capitals have faced over the last 20 years and counting.
“I love scoring goals,” he shrugged with a laugh. “Without goals, you can’t win the game.”
Insane numbers? Yes. Numbers that Ovechkin thinks about constantly? No, though he does take great pride in every record.
“You just don’t try to think about it,” he said. “That’s the most important thing. Of course, you going to get some pressures from the media, from players, from the coaching staff, because they expect you to be good. But it is how it is. You have it one day, you have it another day, and you get used to it.”
He stays off social media for the most part and doesn’t really read what’s being written about him, because that’s not what the sport is about for him.
"I don't read The Hockey News," he alerts me with a sly grin.
At the end of the day, all Ovechkin cares about is having fun. It’s a requirement for the 39-year-old, who declared that once it’s no longer fun, he’ll hang up the skates.
“You give to hockey basically all your life,” he said. “You enjoy the time, and you enjoy the moment. When you come to the rink, talking to the boys, have fun with them, players fans, whatever, you enjoy it.”
“Alex has just stood the test of time a little bit, you know?” Capitals alum and former teammate Mike Knuble said. “What he’s done for hockey and DC and the league and stuff like that… he’s done a lot. It’s fun to see him just happy, and his joy. When he was younger, the joy, you know, carried him. That was the most noticeable. The joy, the joy, the joy. And eventually, you get older, and maybe that settles out a little bit, but still, he plays (with it). It’s amazing.”
It’s something that his teammates have come to admire. Even as he pursues a record bigger than him, one that’s become an elephant in the room and constantly talked about, he doesn’t bask in it.
“He’s very humble and very generous,” linemate Dylan Strome said.
Ovechkin doesn’t go out of his way to mention it, and it’s not the main focus of the dressing room or every game, either. He’ll celebrate every goal the same way – like it’s the first he’s ever scored – and when his teammates score, it’s the same joy. All the while, his Capitals are at the top of the Eastern Conference, a legitimate contender as he enters the twilight of his storied career.
“Why you have to be selfish (about it)?” Ovechkin asked. “My dad always told me like, ‘It doesn’t matter how good you are, how successful you are. You have to stay the same level that you came into the league. Without my teammates, without this organization, you never know what’s going to happen, right?
“If I was drafted by different team, I don’t know if I’m going to have that success. I’m lucky enough to be able to have grown up as a person, as a hockey player in one organization. I’m thankful for that.”
At the end of the day, Ovechkin’s just happy to be here. When he’s not on the ice, he’s your typical guy who’ll spend his downtime resting, hanging out with family, having a beer or two, touring different restaurants or playing “Call of Duty” with his teammates.
That’s how it’s always been. From age 16 to age 39 – better or for worse – he’s been unabashedly himself.
“One of the coolest things about Ovi is he’s never changed for anybody,” Capitals alternate captain Tom Wilson said. “When he came into his league, he was a superstar and rock star, and everybody was on him. Every day since then, he’s been Ovi, he’s been outspoken, he’s been whoever he is. A lot of guys coming into the NHL, they feel like they have to act very professional, be quiet, humble and all that. Ovi is just Ovi. There’s no way to explain it.”
That said, he has had to take it a little bit easier from his early days, where he’d drive 200 miles per hour in his matte black Mercedes-Benz, hijack equipment bag carts and drive them through the halls of the arena — once almost decapitating himself and teammate Mike Green in the process — and throw his opponents through the glass with bone-crunching hits.
“I don’t think (I’ve) slowed things down, but I think it just when you get older, you look back at certain things like, ‘Why you have to do that?’ You know?” he laughed. “You can do different things.”
He pauses for a brief second, and then interjects, “But if I take my time back, I would change nothing.”
“Why would you change nothing?” I ask.
“For what?” he said back, raising an eyebrow. “It’s all good.”
The only thing that’s really changed is that he’s grown up. He remembers the shift when he was named captain in 2010 following the trade of Chris Clark, thrown into a job that critics thought may be over his head at that point in his career.
In a way, maybe he was, but it helped him start to shift the gears, going from the superstar goal-scorer to the more responsible, two-way player that would prove to be the difference when it came to finally winning a Stanley Cup.
Again, he gives all the credit to his former teammates, such as Mike Knuble, Brendan Morrison and Jose Theodore, for helping him get to that point.
“To be honest with you, I get lucky I have such tremendous teammates back then,” Ovechkin said. “They have experience; they’d been in the league long time; they helped me out. Obviously me and (Nicklas Backstrom), ‘Greener,’ we support each other, but we was young. That kind of like experience where you just hear what they say, how they react when they get in certain positions, situations.”
But being a father really cements the “good person” definition for Ovechkin.
In 2018, a couple of months after swimming in the D.C. fountains and celebrating the Cup in an endless party dubbed “The Summer of Ovi,” he welcomed his first son, Sergei, named after his late brother. Two years later, his second son, Ilya, was born.
It marked the ultimate shift in his life. All of the outside noise, every achievement, was no longer about him.
“For sure, for sure (it changed everything). Now you don’t have to think about yourself,” Ovechkin said. “First priority is your kids. Then it’s wife, parents, all that stuff, but kids are the most important things.”
Over the years, Ovechkin’s gotten to share his love of hockey with his sons, taking them to All-Star Games, putting them in skates — CCM, with yellow laces, of course — and spending his nights when he gets home from the rink with knee hockey in the foyer.
“He gives them everything, shows them the way, brings them in the room after almost every game… it changes your perspective,” Wilson said. “You want to do everything you can for your family.”
It’s refreshing, as when he gets home, he doesn’t need to be ‘The Great 8’ or ‘Ovi.’ He can just be ‘Dad.’
“It’s great, and they love hockey so much as well… Of course, I’ll talk about hockey. The kids ask me about the players, what they want to do, but most of the time, we don’t talk about hockey,” he said.
As Ovechkin's attention now shifts toward the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, knows there’s still unfinished business. He’d take another Stanley Cup over the goals record any day, and he’s well aware that a title run this spring is within the realm of possibility.
Going into his final years, he likes to remain in the present. However, he said he’ll catch the occasional highlight or two in passing, including “The Goal” against the Arizona Coyotes that had even Gretzky himself looking up at the replay, his off-the-boards play to himself against the Montreal Canadiens that sent Roman Hamrlik for a loop and his hip check that sent P.K. Subban flying over his head, and can’t help but laugh.
Though he couldn’t really imagine things would play out this way, he looks back at the last 20 years, from his dreams coming true to once impossible feats not so far in the distance, with wonder.
“(It puts) so much smiles on your face. Such good memories,” he said. “It’s going to stay forever.”
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The Supporting Cast: Ovechkin Tying Gretzky Isn't Just A Milestone For Him, But Also For His Capitals Teammates
WASHINGTON — After John Carlson watched his pass to Alex Ovechkin on the power play sail past Spencer Knight for the Washington Capitals captain's record-tying 894th career goal, he threw himself into the glass at Capital One Arena, then screamed as he and his teammates swarmed Ovechkin in celebration.
Carlson knew it was history. He'd seen it time and time again with Ovechkin, but this time, it meant something bigger, something harder to put into words.
"It felt different the whole night," Carlson explained. "Some guys are larger than life."
Carlson's 158 assists to Ovechkin are the second-most of any player, behind only Nicklas Backstrom, who set up 279 of Ovechkin's strikes. So, it was only fitting that he was the one to set up 894.
"It's how you write it up, I guess," Dylan Strome, who's been Ovechkin's center the last few years, said as he sipped a Bud Light in the locker room postgame. "That was awesome... It was just one of those things that was meant to happen, and so glad to be a part of it."
Ovechkin himself "still can't believe" that he's tied with Wayne Gretzky now atop the NHL's all-time goals leaderboard. But for his teammates, it was just a matter of time.
"It was just shivers," Tom Wilson said. "It was just something that everyone dreams of being
a part of and to have a front-row seat and see him, I’m just so proud
of him and so happy for him. As far
as the game of hockey, it’s something when I get old I’m sure I’ll be
telling that story over and over and over.”
Of course, the feat is a huge testament to the work the captain's put in. No one can shoot the puck like the 6-foot-3, 238-pound power forward, who puts every ounce of strength he can into bending his stick for the perfect shot that's eluded goalies for 20 years and counting.
Ovechkin, though, didn't take all the credit; he put his supporting cast on display because without them, there would be no "GR8 Chase" to begin with.
"Without
my boys, I would never reach that milestone. I was lucky enough to play
with great players. Obviously, Nick Backstrom, TJ Oshie, Mike Green, (Sergei)
Fedorov, (Viktor) Kozlov, Mike Knuble — all those guys help me a lot, and I
learned a lot from them, as well, because we were growing up together.," Ovechkin said. "We hang out together. We do all those things together."
As Gretzky also pointed out, the weight of a record like this one weighs not just on No. 8, but on his fellow Capitals, who also carry that pressure in helping Ovechkin achieve hockey immortality.
"People don't realize this — because I went through what Alex is going through — t's hard on your teammates, too," Gretzky said. "It's joyful and it's exciting, but they feel the pressure and the stress and they have to answer all the questions also. So my hat goes off to the entire organization."
As the attention now shifts to 895, Ovechkin's teammates will continue to try to do what they can to get him to make further hockey history.
"It was pretty incredible just to put our heads down and try and rally as a group and try and get it done," Wilson said. "There’s really no words to describe it. Everybody here saw it.
"That guy's scored a lot of goals," rookie Ryan Leonard said, adding, "Just sprinting onto the ice. Everyone’s so happy and excited. It’s just the culture in here. It speaks for itself. It’s so much fun to play for the Capitals and to watch that guy do the impossible, honestly."
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Takeaways: Ovechkin Hits 892 In Capitals' Otherwise Forgettable Loss To Hurricanes
With the exception of one play to close out the second period — a step closer to history for Alex Ovechkin — there wasn't much for the Washington Capitals to remember from Wednesday's contest against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Ovechkin hit 892, but the Capitals put up a rather ugly showing, and nothing else went right in a 5-1 loss.
Here are all the takeaways from the defeat, D.C.'s fourth over the last five games.
Alex Ovechkin Moves Within Three Of Passing Wayne Gretzky
With the Capitals trailing 4-0 and in need of a spark, Alex Ovechkin stood at the point on a 5-on-3 in front of a notable audience, as his wife, Nastya, and owner Ted Leonsis, were joined by Wayne Gretzky and Gary Bettman to watch him try and move closer to passing No. 99.
Ovechkin delivered on the power play in classic Ovi fashion, firing home a one-timer from the left circle to make it a 4-1 game. It marked his 323rd career power-play goal and 892nd goal of his career, putting him a hat trick away from breaking the league's all-time goals record.
The 39-year-old is up to 39 goals on the season, tied with Tage Thompson for the third-most in the league. He has goals in three straight outings, and remains in good position to make history to end the season.
Capitals Fall Apart Early, Logan Thompson Exits With Injury
From the moment the puck dropped, the Capitals were overpowered by the Hurricanes, as Carolina dominated early and often. Washington seemed in a rush to get the puck off its stick, and the Hurricanes were able to capitalize on turnovers and poor defensive play while keeping D.C. bogged down in its own end.
Carolina went up 3-0 through the first 13 minutes and change of the opening frame, as Logan Thompson and his teammates were left scrambling.
Thompson was injured and ultimately pulled after giving up three goals on 12 shots after the first 20 minutes of play, though he finished the first period before Charlie Lindgren took over.
Overall, the defensive effort just wasn't there, nor was the intensity. Lindgren was strong in relief though, with 18 saves on 20 shots.
Capitals Penalty Kill Struggles & Undisciplined Play Costly; Tensions Boil Over Late
Washington also struggled to stay disciplined, taking six penalties and letting frustration boil over.
It led to three power-play goals for the Hurricanes in what was a rare poor showing from the Capitals' penalty kill. Plays were missed, and there was a lack of execution that ultimately plagued Washington shorthanded.
Then, in the final minutes of regulation, all hell broke loose, as Tom Wilson received a four-minute roughing penalty and misconduct after getting into it with Logan Stankoven.
After that, Brandon Duhaime and Nic Dowd got into it with Tyson Jost and Mark Jankowski, receiving misconducts. Then, Connor McMichael and Jalen Chatfield dropped the gloves, leading to a misconduct, fighting major and extra roughing minor for McMichael.
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Wayne Gretzky 'So Proud' Of Alex Ovechkin For Tying All-Time Goals Record
WASHINGTON — After scoring the 894th goal of his career to tie Wayne Gretzky as the NHL's all-time goals leader on Friday, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin pointed to The Great One, seated in the owner's box, and took a bow.
Gretzky loved every second of it.
"He's been nothing but a champion, and I'm so proud that we're tied," Gretzky said.
"I still can't believe it... it's not going nowhere," Ovechkin noted.
For 31 years, Gretzky sat alone atop the NHL leaderboard, his record of 894 thought to be impossible to break.
Then along came Ovechkin.
A 6-foot-3, 238-pound dynamo with a lethal shot and a passion for scoring, Ovechkin kept up with the ever-changing speed of the game, scoring goal after goal and hitting milestone after milestone.
Before he even knew it, the totals were piling up, and to Gretzky, it became apparent that Ovechkin may just have a chance at this thing.
"You could tell he was a goal scorer right from the get-go," Gretzky said. "I've said this before, there's three guys
that have played the game with finesse, physical and smartness, and that
was Gordie Howe, Mark Messier and Ovechkin. Those three guys are in
their own category, and good for Alex."
Back in 2016, Ovechkin himself said that Gretzky's mark was impossible to reach. But then, he hit 500 goals. Then a couple of years later, he hit 600, 700, 800 and then, 802 to pass Gordie Howe's mark.
At that point, it wasn't a matter of "if," but "when." All the while, Gretzky watched closely, admiring the way Ovechkin was able to defy time and remain a consistent force to be reckoned with.
A lot of things have changed over the years: the technology is different. The game is faster. Goalie equipment's larger; the pads are made of leather and durable plastics rather than being stuffed with deer fur. In today's game, scoring a goal is harder than ever.
But for Ovechkin, it's not so much a challenge as it is second nature. He was born to put the puck in the net. Not much shakes him; even a broken fibula that held him out for 16 games didn't stop him from remaining right in the throes of the NHL scoring race while paving the way toward history.
It's that wicked shot, that love for the game, that strength as he snaps his wrists around and forces his 100 flex stick to bed, that allows him to keep doing what he does best.
"It's
so hard. I don't care what era you play in: '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s,
it's hard to score goals," Gretzky said, adding, "Twenty years from now, it's
going to be better than it is today."
"We always talk about our game, the players who were in it, from Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Mario Lemieux, Messier, on and on. And we wonder, OK, what's gonna happen when those guys retire? And along came Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin," Gretzky added.
Ovechkin's GR8 Chase isn't stopping there; there's six games left on the Capitals' regular season schedule, and Gretzky remains on for the ride as the Great 8 tries for 895, which would establish a new mark.
He couldn't be happier to be on the ride.
"Alex has been so great for the city of Washington. He's been so great for the National Hockey League. And he's encouraged so many kids in his home country of Russia to play the sport of hockey," Gretzky said.
"I'm so happy for the league. I'm so proud of Alex. When I broke Gordie's record, my dad told me that same night be as proud of the guy that breaks your record. You know what, this is so good for hockey. It's really been a wonderful journey for everyone. Good for hockey. Great for the people in Washington and hockey fans all over the world. It's wonderful."
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For Nicklas Backstrom & Alex Ovechkin, 895 Holds Even More Meaning: 'As Soon As I Saw Nicky, I Just Want To Cry'
Nicklas Backstrom held back tears as he embraced captain and longtime friend and teammate Alex Ovechkin in the locker room, congratulating the Washington Capitals captain for doing the impossible and breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL goals record.
It was the last stop on what's been a momentous journey for the "duo," as they've been coined. After the two shared a moment together, they posed for a photo with the record-breaking puck, and then Ovechkin planted a kiss right on Backstrom's cheek.
"It means a lot. Very special night. He’s one of
those players that it’s not going to happen for a while," Backstrom said.
No player has assisted on more Ovechkin goals than Backstrom, who helped set up 279 of his now-record 895. From the day Backstrom was drafted, he and Ovechkin were linked; the Russian even announced Backstrom's selection at the 2006 NHL Draft.
At that point, the two became linemates, tasked with transforming D.C. into a hockey town. They did that, and then some, helping the Capitals finally hoist the Stanley Cup in 2018 and of course, lifting Ovechkin closer and closer to hockey immortality.
"It’s very impressive to do what he’s been doing for this many years. I know how hard this league is. So, for him to be doing this at his age is remarkable and scoring the record is incredible. too.” He’s broke one
of the records that no one thought was going to be broken, so with that
being said, that’s the kind of goal scorer he
is."
Backstrom's run with the Capitals came to an end in 2023 amid ongoing complications with his hip, and though he wished he could've been on the ice for Ovechkin to pass the Great One, his legacy remained.
Ovechkin never forgot his main setup man along the way.
That's why when he saw Backstrom for the first time after achieving the milestone, he, himself, was overcome with emotion.
"As
soon as I saw Nicky, I just want to cry. And we hold. Because he was
such a big part of my success, and we're growing up together. We play
together. We've been in so many different situations together," Ovechkin said. "And that
relationship and that moment when him and Osh being here, yeah, it's
tremendous. The support, it's always been like that. I tell them,
'Without you, I would never reach that milestone.'"
After the game on Long Island, which featured a 22-minute ceremony mid-game, a postgame media frenzy and quite a few beers, Ovechkin and the Capitals took the festivities back to D.C., where Backstrom joined to continue celebrating with his winger — a celebration that will certainly, continue now forever.
"He's a pure goal scorer, and he's got that fantastic shot, he’s a
good personality. He is who he is," Backstrom smiled. "He’s the same person he is outside
from inside the locker room. He’s the same person when he got to the
League from now. That’s who he is and that’s why
so many people love him and cheer for him.”
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Alex Ovechkin Reflects On Tying Wayne Gretzky As NHL's All-Time Leading Goal Scorer: 'I Still Can't Believe It'
WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin is trying to stay calm.
The Washington Capitals captain casually picks up a Bug Light and takes a swig following the team's 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, where he struck twice to tie Wayne Gretzky as the NHl's all-time leading goal scorer.
However, a rare occurrence takes place: the nerves come out for Ovechkin, who usually remains composed, and he's shaking as he speaks postgame.
"I still can't believe it," Ovechkin said, sitting next to Wayne Gretzky for the postgame press conference of his career. "It's nice that my
family here, my mom, my wife, my kids, father-in-law, lots of friends
came from lots of different cities. It's history. It's great for the
game. it's great to do it here. It's special."
The 39-year-old's 894th career tally came in classic Ovi fashion, a one-timer from the left circle on the power play. As he watched the puck beat Spencer Knight, he raised his arms to the heavens before being embraced by his teammates, who cleared the bench to relish the moment with him.
No more outside noise. No more pressure. No more critics asking, "will he ever match Gretzky?"
He no longer sits a certain amount of goals away from greatness; now, he shares the mountaintop with The Great One, who he bowed to from the ice.
"It was just shivers," Tom Wilson recalled. "It was just something that everyone dreams of being a part of, and to have a front-row seat and see him, I'm just so proud of him and so happy for him."
"He's been nothing but a champion and I'm so proud that we're tied," Gretzky said.
For Ovechkin, watching that puck cross the line was a moment where he could finally exhale.
"It is a relief, obviously. I just talked to my family yesterday and my
father-in-law ask, 'How do you keep your energy, your mind (clear)?' And I just
said like, 'I just enjoy it' because it's a huge opportunity. It's
history. It's lots of attentions. Friends love it, you guys love it
and it's great for the city and it's great for hockey... It's great. I'm very happy to be in this spot. I'm always gonna be
grateful for it and thanks to Wayne, how he support me, how he always
give me advice to be patient, don't put yourself in a stress position.
I'm happy right now. I don't know what my feelings gonna be tomorrow,
but right now I'm happy.
"Obviously my wife here, my mom, my father-in-law, kids and for the future, my kids are gonna remember this — and
it's gonna be on TV. It's not going nowhere, so I'm very happy we did it
in Washington in front of home fans and we're just gonna continue."
With his next goal, Ovechkin will set a new record for the most goals in NHL history with 895. All he knows is that he doesn't want that goal to come on an empty net; he wants to do it the way he thinks is right.
But at the end of the day, he's taking things the same way he always has: in stride.
"How
I say, it's game by game, it's shift by shift. You never know what's
gonna happen," Ovechkin said. "We just gonna continue to enjoy it and continue to do
our best because we still have six games left before playoffs and our
mind right now is get ready for the playoffs and play the right way in
the playoffs."
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Alex Ovechkin Scores 895 To Become NHL's All-Time Leading Goal Scorer
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is the greatest goal scorer in NHL history.
The Capitals captain scored his 895th career goal on the power play in the second period against the New York Islanders, firing a trademark shot from his office in the left circle past Ilya Sorokin to overtake Wayne Gretzky as the league's all-time leading goal scorer.
He dove to center ice in celebration as he was mauled by his teammates.
Ovechkin scored goals in five straight games to reach the historic mark.
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Alex Ovechkin Ties Wayne Gretzky For The Most Goals In NHL History, Capitals Beat Blackhawks 5-3
WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin has done it.
The Washington Capitals captain scored his 894th career NHL goal on Friday against the Chicago Blackhawks, fittingly, on the power play, to tie Wayne Gretzky for the most in NHL history. It was his second goal of the game.
Ovechkin got open from the left circle and fired home a classic one-timer to make it a 4-3 game and tie the record, with Wayne Gretzky in attendance. The bench cleared to celebrate with the 39-year-old.
As he received a standing ovation and celebrated the moment, the Capitals and Blackhawks celebrated the moment with him.
Gretzky also watched proudly from the stands.
"It's great for hockey.
I'm so happy for the league. I'm so proud of Alex. When I broke
Gordie's record my dad told me that same night be as proud of the guy
that breaks your record. You know what, this is so good for hockey," Gretzky said. "It's
really been a wonderful journey for everyone. Good for hockey. Great
for the people in Washington and hockey fans all over the world. It's
wonderful."
Washington went on to beat Chicago 5-3. His goal was the game-winner, setting the NHL record for the most game-winning goals in league history (136). Ryan Leonard, Martin Fehervary and Dylan Strome also scored for the Capitals.
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The Wraparound: Another Look At Ovi’s Record-Tying Goal And A Capitals’ Win
In the midst of what would otherwise be an unremarkable late-season game against the last-place Chicago Blackhawks, the Washington Capitals were all well aware of the main storyline of Friday night’s match – Ovechkin sitting three goals shy of breaking the record.
A hat trick at home against a Chicago team struggling massively isn’t too much to ask, is it?
Just before 3:52 into the first period, Ovechkin seriously looked like he was going to make it happen, too. Taking a pass from behind the net from Dylan Strome, Ovi sniped the top corner over Blackhawks’ goalie Spencer Knight, giving the Caps an early 1-0 lead, and bringing himself to within a single tally of The Great One’s record.
I texted Sammi a short time later and remarked how it would be funny to see Ryan Leonard get his first NHL goal tonight but no one would remember it because Ovechkin scored three to take the record.
Perhaps fortunately for Leonard, only one of those things happened. And perhaps unfortunately for the home crowd, the record-breaker will have to wait for another game (although they did witness him tie it…so no one left empty-handed).
At the end of the night, Washington walked away with a 5-3 victory courtesy of those two tallies by the Great Eight, as well as Leonard’s first, and an additional goals by Dylan Strome and Martin Fehervary. And those two points are what matters most in the end.
That’s not to say Chicago made it easy by any means. Later in the first after Ovechkin’s 893rd, Tyler Bertuzzi tied it up for Chicago, and Frank Nazar gave them an early second-period lead after a Capitals’ defensive breakdown. Even after Fehrevary tied it a few minutes later, the Blackhawks managed to immediately take the lead back (I mean that literally. It was ten seconds later). For a while, it looked like Chicago was going to successfully spoil the night.
But, in the third period, right from his spot, a place where he has scored roughly a quarter of his 894 goals, Alex Ovechkin matched Wayne Gretzky with a shot beating Spencer Knight on the power play.
Cue the excitement and fanfare. And cue up the ovation from the Caps’ faithful, who came out last night to hopefully see history.
After a long ovation from the crowd and Slapshot flipped the counter to 894, on we played, hoping to see that next big one. Sadly we it never came to pass, although it wasn’t for a lack of trying. After Ovechkin subtly declined Head Coach Spencer Carbery’s invitation to return to the ice when Chicago pulled Knight for an extra attacker, Ryan Leonard made his own personal memories by notching his first NHL goal on the empty net; a big night for the prominent Caps’ prospect who had a front-row seat to history being made in addition to making his own mark on the score sheet.
Postgame, Carbery joked about Ovechkin itching to get back out after Leonard’s goal, stating “When the goalie went back in, he absolutely wanted to get back out on the ice.” Which is why Ovechkin played the entirety of the 1:36 that remained in the game, generating a few quality chances, but ultimately finished the night in a tie with Gretzky.
Maybe Spencer Knight can take some solace in the fact that he won’t be the goalie that allowed the record breaker to a living NHL legend.
Overall, the Capitals played a good game against the Blackhawks, although it wasn’t a particularly great game. Teams like Chicago (well out of the playoff picture) are still fine playing spoiler and making life hard down the stretch for the teams who are getting ready for a chance at the Stanley Cup. At times throughout the game, and especially in the second period, the Capitals allowed Chicago to stay in the game and spotted them two separate leads.
Analytically, the numbers show that the Capitals mostly outplayed Chicago, finishing with a Corsi-for of 58.65 to Chicago’s 41.35. Not bad. But it felt like Chicago, a team ranked near the bottom of the league in both goals for and goals against per game, was given too much room too often to work. This was a game with a ton of emotion and momentum behind the Capitals- and one that started off with an Ovechkin goal, so I expected a more decisive outcome for Washington.
But I’m just nitpicking now, and a win is a win.
The Capitals next head up to New York to take on the Islanders, in a game where I think we’re all hoping Ovechkin doesn’t score so that he can return home on Thursday and attempt to get it against Carolina.
I can’t be the only one secretly hoping for that.
Nevertheless, the Islanders are a team still clinging to a slim hope of making the playoffs, and they will absolutely look to make Washington’s life miserable. The Capitals will need to continue to play strong going down the stretch, especially since they are likely to face a scrappy team like Montreal in the first round of the playoffs.
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