WASHINGTON – The "Ovi" chants haven't stopped. Even long before the Washington Capitals — let alone Alex Ovechkin himself — took the ice on Thursday, fans were shouting Ovechkin's name, as Capital One Arena was filled to the brim to honor the captain.
Making his return to D.C. for the first time since overtaking Wayne Gretzky as the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer, Ovechkin was met with a standing ovation and the superstar treatment as the team honored him with a ceremony before puck drop against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Washington rolled out the red carpet and welcomed Ovechkin and his family to the ice, as the team presented him with a video tribute and gifts for breaking the record and hitting 895.
President of Hockey Operations Brian MacLellan presented Ovechkin with a golden stick, and his sons, Sergei and Ilya, with golden mini sticks. His teammates gave him and his family with flowers, and the team then gifted him a six-foot concrete installation of a hockey puck with Ovechkin etched into the stone. A cast of his skates and his game-used sticks were also included in the sculpture.
To cap off the ceremony, owner Ted Leonsis gave Ovechkin and his mother, Tatiana, with Rolex watches, while his wife, Nastya, received a Cartier watch.
In addition to the ceremony, the Capitals also played video tributes from his teammates and other members of the sports