Crosby, Ovechkin meet again with Capitals star, storied rivalry in final season

ARLINGTON, Va. -- The last time Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby faced each other, it was unclear if it would be the last time.

After Ovechkin announced Monday that this will be his final NHL season, it’s certain that the great on-ice-rivalry-turned-friendship between Ovechkin and Crosby will come to an end this season. That gives additional meaning to each of their remaining meetings, beginning with the Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals hosting Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins at Capital One Arena on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, TNT).

“Every game is special,” Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin said. “… Every game (between) Sid and Ovi, it's a special night.”

Coach Spencer Carbery acknowledged the Capitals “have to” put Ovechkin in the starting lineup at left wing for his final home opener. Perhaps, Penguins coach Dan Muse will oblige and put Crosby out at center for the opening face-off, too. 

It will be the 101st game, including the Stanley Cup Playoffs, between them during an unmatched 22 seasons with their respective teams. 

Ovechkin, the No. 1 pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, holds the NHL record with 929 career goals, and is 10th in NHL history with 1,688 points in 1,575 games. Crosby, the No. 1 pick in the 2005 NHL Draft, is seventh in NHL history with 1,763 points (654 goals, 1,109 assists) in 1,423 games.

With Ovechkin now 41 and Crosby 39, they’ve learned over the years to appreciate the greatness they have brought out in each other and the much-needed boost they provided to the League when they simultaneously arrived to open the 2005-06 season after the 2004-05 season was canceled by an owners’ lockout.

“It’s all about lots of respect for each other, what we’ve done for the League and the game of hockey,” Ovechkin said. “It’s tremendous.” 

Crosby and Ovechkin have faced each other more than any No. 1 draft picks in NHL history and more than any players in the top 10 in points League history. For each to do it with the same team throughout makes what they’ve achieved that much more remarkable.

“It's rare,” Crosby said. “To be in the same division for as long as we have been to see each other in playoff matchups and things like that, there were always comparisons. There are always players that are compared to each other, but they don't necessarily have the matchups all the time, or they play in different conferences and things like that. 

“The way that it's worked out in this case, we've seen a lot of each other and that rivalry has kind of remained over that time."

Crosby has the advantage with 97 points (35 goals, 62 assists) and the Penguins are 43-28-4 in their previous 75 regular-season encounters, ahead of Ovechkin’s 71 points (38 goals, 33 assists) and the Capitals’ 32-33-10 record. 

Ovechkin has 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) and Crosby has 30 (13 goals, 17 assists) in the 25 playoff games between them. Pittsburgh won three of the four series, though, which each went at least six games. The winner of each series went on to win the Stanley Cup -- the Penguins in 2009, 2016 and 2017 and the Capitals in 2018.

There were no signs of fondness between Ovechkin and Crosby through those heated series, but that’s changed in recent seasons.

“With how competitive that we are, especially coming in, trying to prove ourselves, it would've been difficult to be too close, I think, given just some of the playoff matchups and history there,” Crosby said. “So, I think over the years, obviously, developed a friendship with him and have a ton respect for him.”

Pittsburgh has made the playoffs in 17 of Crosby’s first 21 seasons. Washington has qualified for the postseason in 16 of Ovechkin’s 21 seasons.

They have combined to win the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player five times (Ovechkin three, Crosby, two), the Art Ross Trophy as the League's points leader five times (Crosby two, Ovechkin one), the Rocket Richard Trophy as goals leader 11 times (Ovechkin nine, Crosby, two), the Ted Lindsay Award as the most outstanding player as voted by members of the NHL Players' Association six times (three each) and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP three times (Crosby two, Ovechkin, one).

“It'll be a sad day for hockey when those two aren't around anymore,” Capitals forward Tom Wilson said. “You can't take it for granted when you have greatness against greatness like that. I think the game of hockey owes them both a ton for what they've done and what they've brought to the game. 

“I don't think there was anybody that was changing the channel when those two were playing against each other when they were (rookies), and they're still watching.”

Pittsburgh (2-1-0) and Washington (1-1-0) each have playoff aspirations, so maybe the fates will cooperate and provide one more playoff series between Crosby and Ovechkin. Otherwise, they will be down to three remaining games after Wednesday: in Pittsburgh on Jan. 18 and March 13 and in Washington’s final home game of the season on April 4.

Washington’s home finale last season was also against the Penguins. There was much speculation about Ovechkin’s future before that April 12 game because he was in the final season of his contract and had yet to say if he would return for another season.

So, after the final horn of Washington’s 3-0 victory, the Penguins, led by Crosby and Malkin, lingered on the ice, waiting to line up and shake Ovechkin’s hand. 

Ovechkin similarly led lines to shake hands with goalie Marc-Andre Fleury after Washington faced him for the last time with the Minnesota Wild in 2024-25 and against Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar before he retired at the end of last season, so he appreciated the gesture. He waved off the Penguins, though, because he thought it was premature.

“If it was my last game, I would feel bad,” Ovechkin said. “I saw what Kopitar did and what Fleury did and I didn’t want this to be, ‘This is going to be my last year and my last game.’ We all have respect for each other. Obviously, the rivalry between us in all those years, it was tremendous and you never know when it’s going to be the end.”

Malkin, Ovechkin’s longtime friend, said afterward that he suspected Ovechkin would play again this season. But because it was uncertain, he and Crosby understood why he didn’t want to go through the handshake line. 

Ovechkin eventually did decide to return, signing a one-year contract on July 2. He waited until Monday, though, to say this will be his final NHL season.

“It was something he was going to think about,” Crosby said. “I didn't know at that point. … Just knowing (now) that it's going to be his last year, I'm sure that's a relief for him just to be able to go out and play.”

Ovechkin will do that beginning Wednesday. It will also be the beginning of the final chapter in the Ovechkin-Crosby rivalry.

However it ends, it’s already been a heck of a story.

“It's that uniqueness of two generational players coming in at basically the same time, and how rare that is in all of sports,” Carbery said. “And then to have them as division rivals, and then have the Washington-Pitt thing, that just helped the game so much and drew so many fans and eyeballs to every time they would go up against each other. … 

“What that rivalry has done for the sport and where our sport is now, the National Hockey League, for a bunch of different reasons, they have had a significant role in in why the NHL is where it is and it continues to grow and flourish.”

NHL.com Independent Correspondent Wes Crosby contributed to this report