Crosby, Ovechkin take opening face-off in 100th game against each other

The hockey rivalry of the century hit the century mark.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin and Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby played each other for the 100th time on Sunday afternoon at Capital One Arena.

The milestone wasn't lost on either team and the pair of all-time greats ended up taking the opening face-off.

It seemed to be set up, with both Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin moving early on Ovechkin and Capitals forward Dylan Strome getting tossed from the opening face-off to make way for Ovechkin to go nose-to-nose with Crosby.

Before the game, Ovechkin and Crosby met at center ice to signify the moment. Malkin and Penguins defenseman Kris Letang, the other two member of the Penguins "Big Three" also joined in for the moment having had such a long rivalry with the Capitals.

The Capitals shared a photo of the iconic duo on their social feeds.

Fans in attendance went wild for Ovechkin, the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer, who has not yet made a decision on if he will return for his 22nd NHL season

Sunday marked the final home game of the Capitals 2025-26 regular season. They close out the regular season in Columbus against the Blue Jackets on Tuesday.