WASHINGTON — It's rare to find an athlete who stands the test of time, one who gets back up over and over after being knocked down, one that doesn't find resolve in moving cities, but transforming one.

Enter Alex Ovechkin.

The Washington Capitals captain was looking for the right words, his eyes gleaming with pride as he reflected for a brief moment on what it's meant to be a Washington Capital for the last 20 years and counting.

He needed the right words to describe his favorite part of D.C., but one did the trick.

"Everything," he affirmed as he stood on the same stage where he'd originally signed his 13-year extension to stay with the team back in 2008.

Back on Sunday, Ovechkin passed Wayne Gretzky as the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer, potting his 895th career goal on Long Island. It was a number once thought to be unreachable, and one that wouldn't be possible without a strong team behind him.

Ovechkin himself wouldn't even take individual credit for the record.

"If you look at all my goals, obviously you have to shoot the puck, but all the work was my teammates," Ovechkin explained. "Tremendous."

What's even more impressive is that all of his goals – all 895 of them — have come with the same franchise, regardless of roster or record. He never went title chasing with another city, or asked for a change in scenery. He was in it for the long haul.

Of course, having Nicklas Backstrom didn't hurt, nor did acquiring T.J. Oshie and other names over the years.

But even when Backstrom and Oshie eventually stepped away, Ovechkin kept going, thanks to the likes of homegrown talent like Tom Wilson and John Carlson and newer additions like Dylan Strome, who finally found his home in D.C., and Jakob Chychrun, among others.

He kept scoring, and he stayed invested in what the District had to offer, even during those earlier years when the team wasn't able to make a deep playoff run — and to make matters even more difficult, Ovechkin was the one who had to answer to the fans and critics.

For Ovechkin, it was D.C. or bust; there was never another team.

"If you love, you love, you know?" Ovechkin said. "It's only one love. I love Dynamo, and I love Capitals."

His love for the city, though, runs deeper than just his team. He enjoys the weather — though even he admits it can change at the drop of a hat. He loves the fanbase. He loves the community.

But, most importantly, he loves how D.C. has embraced him from Day 1.

"I don’t know if this sounds, like, stupid, but this is my second home," Ovechkin smiled. "I grow up, like I spend 20 years here. I grew up like a man... like, I grew up here, you know?"

And he did. Ovechkin learned English and embraced the culture, and learned from his teammates what it means to be a leader. It led him to the captaincy in 2010, and then to the Stanley Cup, and then, to 895 goals.

All the while, he transformed Washington into a hockey town. The Capitals went from basement dwellers in the standings to the top of the Eastern Conference, and from barely filling the lower bowl of their arena to selling out night after night in Chinatown.

The "Ovechkin Effect" made its way through the entire DMV, and more rinks popped up, boys and girls started to fill ice rinks and the sport was taken more seriously aross the region, all thanks to No. 8.

"The culture that we've created starts really with Alex all the way down," owner Ted Leonsis said.

Ovechkin has one more year left on his contract, but there are already plans for him to stay involved with the organization. Because again: for the captain, just like it was for ownership when they drafted him, it's a no-brainer.

"I grew up in Russia and I grew up right now here. My kids growing up here. This is my second home," Ovechkin said. "I have unbelievable friends here. Family, it’s… yeah, I love this city.”