Steven Oleksy is part of a rare club.
Having played with both the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins, Oleksy got to experience what it was like to skate with two different generational talents in Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby.
And now, as the two teams prepare to clash on D.C.'s opening night this coming season, Oleksy doesn't take the experience for granted.
"If you could handpick two organizations to play for, everybody would probably select those two," Oleksy said. "It's incredible, it's incredible being able to play with (Ovi) and Sid, two very different people and players."
Oleksy's first taste of NHL action came with Washington after finally earning an entry-level contract and call-up in 2013.
Ovechkin was one of the first players he met when he walked into the locker room, and his first impression was seeing how dedicated the captain was to the game.
"There's not a pure goal scorer that I've ever seen in any era that compares to him, and somebody who just loves the game of hockey. I think from a grassroots level, it's players like that that people should latch onto," Oleksy said, adding, "He literally played for the pure love and enjoyment of the game, and it ultimately translated to success."
Oleksy spent three years with the organization before heading to the Penguins, where he got to share the ice with Crosby, though he spent the majority of his time as a leader with the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Still, Oleksy was one of the first call-ups, and was on the roster for the team's Stanley Cup run. His first and only sip of alcohol came from the Cup, courtesy of Crosby, as he lived up to a promise he'd made friend Sean Sidlowski years ago before his career started.
"Sid's one of the best human beings I've ever met," Oleksy add, adding, "I walk in after getting off the ice, and Sidney Crosby's dishing up drinks to everybody from the Stanley Cup. I wish I would've embraced it more; the tiniest bit touched my lips,a nd that was it. But I have a cool picture of it, and Sid signed a few copies for me."
Braden Holtby, one of Oleksy's closest friends, had reached out shortly after, asking for one of those photos of him raising the Cup.
While getting to win a ring was a once in a lifetime experience, Oleksy did feel some guilt. He'd considered D.C. home, and felt that way even after leaving the organization.
That's why, for Oleksy watching the Capitals win in 2018 felt even sweeter.
"You're like, 'Oh man,...' you feel guilty, you feel sad, you feel bad because it's not with the people that you came up with and the people that were so special with," Oleksy said. "My first year in Pittsburgh, they treated me great and it was awesome, but we had such a special thing in D.C., and all those guys played so hard and helped me for so long to put me in that position to win with Pittsburgh.
"Then, when Washington won it, aside from my career, that was one of the best sports moments for me to see those guys win that and accomplish that. It relieved a lot of those feelings."
