Star Wears: Capitals award Ovechkin helmet with visor to 'Legend of the Game'

Welcome to Star Wears, where our Short Shifts squad will highlight each participating NHL team’s unique and creative way to honor their player of the game after each victory, handing them a token of appreciation that usually lasts at least one season, and sometimes takes on a life of its own.

Team: Washington Capitals, 2026-27 season

Item: The "Ovi helmet" with mirrored visor

Origin Story: With the Capitals captain and NHL's career goals leader Alex Ovechkin retiring at the end of the 2026-27 season, the team wanted to find a way to honor him with the award. Not only did they go to his old bucket, but it will be called the "Legend of the Game" award, not just player of the game. “We kind of landed on the idea of how to involve Ovi," said Capitals forward Tom Wilson . "Obviously, it’s his last season so kind of a tribute to him. I think (Anthony Beauvillier) was actually the guy who thought of it, the mirrored visor. From there we just tried to see if we could source a helmet and a visor and put it together.”

City/Team connection (dubious or otherwise): The helmet clearly brought back some memories for Ovechkin, who famously wore a mirrored visor during his incredible 52-goal rookie season in 2005-06, kicking up a minor stir.

Fun Fact: Then-New Jersey Devils and now Hockey Hall of Fame goalie Martin Brodeur spearheaded the complaint about the mirrored visor, theorizing it gave Ovechkin an unfair advantage because his eyes were not visible and other players couldn't see where he was looking while preparing to shoot or pass the puck. The League disallowed mirrored visors in 2006. Ovechkin has scored 878 NHL goals (and counting) wearing a clear visor.

Quotable: “We’ve never really wanted to force it and just find something for the sake of finding something, but this year the idea just seemed fitting, a little tribute to Ovi," Wilson said. "He’s obviously in his last season and he’s done so much for this organization. Just such a bigger-than-life guy. He’s led the way for 22 seasons. He’s a legend and it seemed pretty fitting to do something that paid tribute to him in his last season.”

-NHL.com Independent Correspondent Harvey Valentine contributed to this report.