Ovechkin enjoys ‘great’ time hosting clinic for American Special Hockey kids 

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Alex Ovechkin became the NHL’s all-time leader in goals last season, but to the players, coaches and leadership with the American Special Hockey Association, the Washington Capitals forward hasn’t changed.

Throughout their 11-year relationship, Ovechkin has been a friend and a champion for their cause. That was evident again Wednesday when the Capitals captain hosted a hockey clinic for approximately 50 ASHA players at their practice facility.

“It’s great to spend time with those kids,” Ovechkin said. “You see parents smiling, they’re smiling, they have some fun and I’m enjoying to do that.”

Founded in 2007, ASHA uses hockey to provide a therapeutic outlet for players with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities. This is the eighth season Ovechkin hosted ASHA players for an ice hockey or street hockey event since he became an ASHA ambassador in 2014.

During that span, ASHA has grown from 45 programs to 140 across the United States, with more than 8,750 athletes participating and 11,500 total members including coaches and volunteers. Players from six teams participated Wednesday: the Washington Ice Dogs, NOVA Cool Cats, Montgomery Cheetahs, Frederick Gargoyles, Richmond Retrievers and Hershey Heroes.

“It’s super special because you have an organization and the athletes that participate with it taking part in activities that truly help grow the sport, but help grow the sport in a population that is often times forgotten about,” said Mike Miller, a coach and founder of the Hershey Heroes, whose son Nate plays for the team. “Ovi’s commitment to American Special Hockey is beyond belief and expectation, quite frankly.

“He gives tickets, he gives time, which is even more important, and he just gives of himself, as has been witnessed on countless occasions.”

For this season’s clinic, instead of running practice drills, the rink was divided into three sections for the players to scrimmage. Ovechkin took time playing alongside the ASHA players in each scrimmage. Capitals forwards Justin Sourdif, Ethen Frank and Hendrix Lapierre also joined in the fun.

“I think it’s a joy that we all look forward to and it’s so exciting to see that anticipation grow, and this is a whole new one,” ASHA executive director Jen O’Brien said. “Rather than have it be a lot of mass chaos (with practice drills), we wanted to make sure that we were being intentional because everyone wants to play with Ovi, not just practice with him.”

The timing didn’t work out to hold an event last season because Ovechkin missed time while recovering from a fractured left fibula and other events surrounding his pursuit of the NHL goal record, which he broke when he scored No. 895 against the New York Islanders on April 6 to surpass Wayne Gretzky (894).

In his 21st NHL season, Ovechkin has 14 goals in 30 games heading into the Capitals’ game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Capital One Arena on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, MNMT), to increase his career total to 911. The 40-year-old became the first player to reach 900 NHL goals when he scored against the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 5.

O’Brien said everyone with ASHA followed Ovechkin’s chase of Gretzky closely last season, but it wasn’t just about him breaking the goal record.

“As that goal count went up last year and everybody’s cheering on those numbers, we were counting down all the reasons why he makes a difference in our world,” O’Brien said. “He is very much a superhero in the sport of hockey, but I think people forget sometimes that he’s a human that champions for other people. He certainly has for us, and we never forget it.

“Our athletes just want a friend. They just want to belong. That’s all they want is to just be on a team, belong and have a friend. He consistently provides that.”

Former Capitals defenseman Mike Green, who retired in 2020 after 15 NHL seasons, including the first 10 with Washington (2005-2015), has appreciated Ovechkin’s commitment to ASHA as a teammate and now as a father of special needs child. His 9-year-old son, Axel, plays for the Gargoyles this season and played for the Cheetahs last season, but didn’t skate Wednesday because he was ill.

“I think with the Caps being local here, my son he knows, obviously, that Dad played, but he’s got his own journey and own teams that he likes to follow and is interested in,” Green said. “So, this has been a great launch pad for him to enjoy the sport.”

Ovechkin has formed connections with several of the ASHA players during the past 11 years, including Ann Schaub, an Ice Dogs player first met at his initial event with ASHA in 2014. Schaub, who was 10 at the time, asked Ovechkin out on a sushi date and a friendship was born.

Nate Miller, who is now 23 and has been with the Heroes for 10 years, was one of eight players from youth hockey programs in the Washington area to participate in the on-ice ceremony celebrating Ovechkin’s 900th goal and his 1,500th NHL game (vs. the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 25) prior to the Capitals’ game against the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 26.

Nate was thrilled to see Ovechkin again Wednesday and get to play in the scrimmage with him.

“I was so happy to see Alex Ovechkin and that he passed the puck to our guys,” Nate Miller said. “I was so happy for him.”

Forming those lasting relationships with the ASHA players has added to Ovechkin’s enjoyment of these events.

“It’s a good thing they still remember me, and they still recognize me,” he said. “A couple kids said, ‘Congrats about the record and 900 [goals],’ so that’s special.”