ARLINGTON, V.A. — Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is trying out some new equipment ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.
Ovechkin was testing out a new stick at Monday's informal skate as he took the ice with the full group for the first time this month. It's a custom pro stock stick, not affiliated with any specific brand, with personalized graphics for Ovechkin.
The stick is all black with red and white stripes, and then the lettering "MVO" across the shaft. Though Ovechkin hasn't commented on his new stick yet, it appears to be a tribute, as those are the initials of his late father, Mikhail Viktorovich Ovechkin, who passed away in 2023.
Ovechkin's father played for FC Dynamo Moscow and was a major source of inspiration for the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer over the course of his career.
“He give me everything: all his health, all his time,” Ovechkin said back in 2023. "He traveled with me all over the world and (was) at every practice when he had a chance... He had a great sense of humor. Even when he don't understand people, he always tried to ask something."
Ovechkin, who turns 41 on Thursday, went back to the MVO stick a few times at practice, swapping it out with his signature custom pro stock stick that he's been regularly using over the last couple of seasons.
Training camp officially begins on Thursday.
