Alex Ovechkin, the NHL’s newly crowned goal-scoring king, came home on Thursday.
His loyal subjects showered him with cheers during a pregame ceremony before the Capitals’ 5-4 shootout win over the Carolina Hurricanes.
A sold-out crowd packed into Capital One Arena to celebrate Ovechkin and a career-long record chase that culminated Sunday on Long Island with Washington’s longtime captain scoring his 895th goal to pass Wayne Gretzky on the NHL leaderboard.
Ovechkin and the Capitals have spent the intervening days skating from one celebration to another. Thursday’s ceremony was the biggest of all, though.
Team President Brian MacLellan and Capitals owner Ted Leonsis presented Ovechkin with a golden stick to celebrate the achievement. His sons received their own miniature sticks, too.
The team also offered him a six-foot concrete statue that combined a game-used stick, skates and his iconic yellow laces. Ovechkin and his mom also walked away with Rolex watches, while the goal-scorer’s wife added a flashy timepiece from Cartier.
“From the moment Alex Ovechkin stepped on to the ice, he has been an overwhelming force,” announcer Joe Beninati said. “He’s our captain, in all caps. All ours. And now, he’s the greatest goal-scorer in NHL history.”
Fans rushed into the bowl more than one hour before the game began, many of them sporting red No. 8 jerseys. They took their seats, eager to welcome Ovechkin back to the District and the city that has witnessed more than 400 of his goals.
The Capitals rolled out a literal red carpet for the greatest player in franchise history. The start of the game was delayed as Ovechkin took the ice alongside his wife and their two sons.
It was an opportunity for fans to thank him and recognize history. The “Ovi” chants were instantaneous. Many fans stood up when the ceremony began and didn’t return to their seats until the puck dropped.
Those diehards erupted when Ovechkin finally stepped onto the ice. The chants returned as spotlights circled the captain while he skated around the ice.
Capital One Arena shook and stands rattled as 18,000 fans rose to their feet.
Beninati had to request fans settle down while a tribute video played.
They didn’t.
They couldn’t help but cheer as they saw replays of Ovechkin’s record-breaker.
Ovechkin himself appeared close to tears as the video played with comments from family members, teammates and fans.
“He has given his all to this city, this team and for the game,” Beninati said. “He has made an immeasurable impact on the sport in the region, causing countless young boys and girls to play and fall in love with this game.”
They’d been storing the ovation for four days — since he broke the record — or 20 years — since he first came to the District.
Many of the fans in attendance remembered when Ovechkin first came to the District as a 20-year-old in 2005. Now grey-haired and a slower skater, the Russian still flashes a trademark smile when the District’s hockey-crazed masses erupt in cheers.
The grin crept onto his face again as the Capitals showered him with more and more gifts.
Ovechkin donned his uniform for the ceremony, but not before rocking a custom suit to mark the occasion. The jacket featured an embroidered “GR895” along with a lining that counted up each of his goals.
Before the arena opened to the public, he posed on the throne set up for fans on the concourse.
“OvechKING,” the Capitals social team wrote on X.
With a week remaining in the regular season, the Capitals will have a home-ice advantage for at least the first two playoff rounds.
The Capitals return to action on Saturday afternoon against the Columbus Blue Jackets. They’ll be back in the District on Sunday for a rematch against Columbus on fan appreciation night.
