One Last Season Against Ovi

Minutes before the Penguins wrapped up their morning skate on Monday, the Capitals announced that this will be Alex Ovechkin’s last season in the NHL.

“I love this game so much, but I know in my heart it’s the right decision,” said Ovechkin, who made it this summer with his family.

So, as the Penguins filed into the locker room, word quickly spread. The news wasn’t necessarily surprising, as many thought last year might have been it for Ovechkin. But it is momentous, considering Ovechkin’s place in the game as its greatest goal scorer and the history he has with Pittsburgh’s franchise forwards.

So momentous, in fact, that Evgeni Malkin suspended his years-long routine of not talking to the media on game days, which he adopted from Sergei Gonchar early in his career. Ovechkin and Malkin have known each other for over two decades, as they went first and second in the 2004 NHL Draft, respectively, and they’ve become friends over the years.

“A lot of good memories together. We always try to support each other, try to play hard and show best,” said Malkin, who quipped that it might be his last year, too. “It's 22 years ago, it's crazy. But again, we've done everything. He's done everything. ... It's not easy to play every game, every night. But it's hard because he’s legend, fans love him. He’s done everything for team, for league, and I hope he play good this year, no injury. He just stay healthy, score goals, and enjoy the game.”

Ovechkin entered the NHL in 2005-06, one season before Malkin, and the same year as Sidney Crosby. The NHL was coming off a season lost due to a lockout, and it’s not hyperbole to say Crosby and Ovechkin saved the league.

As our own Jason Seidling **detailed so beautifully in this piece**, nobody has done more on and off the ice over the past two-plus decades than Crosby and Ovechkin, the NHL’s equivalent to Magic Johnson versus Larry Bird, exceeding their impossible expectations.

"The dynamic between them – obviously, two very different players that have been successful for an extremely long time – it’s done a lot for the league and its popularity,” said Trevor van Riemsdyk, teammates with Ovechkin for six seasons before signing with the Penguins this summer.

“Ovi scoring a ton of goals, Sid doing all that he’s done for the game, points, championships, all that. It’s been an awesome dynamic for the league that I think kept a lot of interest in it. Now, it seems to be booming again. But if you don’t have guys like that pulling the league along when things weren’t going as good, I think it looks different. Everyone in here definitely owes them a lot for what they’ve done for the game in these 20 years, and probably will continue to do after they’re done.”

Part of what made their dynamic so much fun is their differing personalities. Who can forget Ovechkin diving into the water fountain during Washington’s 2018 Stanley Cup parade, or his meal choices of chicken parm before games and Subway (a spicy Italian sub and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos) before road trips? Everything the old-school winger does has worked pretty flawlessly for him over the years.

“He loves the game. He tries not to stress too much,” van Riemsdyk said. “That’s probably the best thing for your body. You see it every time he scores a goal, how much he enjoys it still. It means a lot to him. Going up to his family now when he scores a goal. He’s a specimen and a guy you don’t want to run into in the corners, that’s for sure.

“The style that he plays, he scored a ton of goals, but I think he’s probably close to most hits ever, too. He plays the game extremely hard. So, to do it for this long is pretty incredible. The game will miss him dearly.”

Before Ovechkin hangs them up, the Penguins and Capitals will meet four times: October 7 in Washington; January 18 in Pittsburgh; March 13 in Pittsburgh; and April 4 in Washington.

Unlike last year, when Ovechkin constantly fielded questions and speculation, his future is set – and we can all soak up every second of those final games. 

"I'm sure it's something he'd be asked about a lot, so it's nice for him to just be able get that out there and enjoy playing and focus on hockey,” Crosby said. “So, yeah, definitely have had some great battles over the years and, obviously, when you get to our age, that's something that you have to make decisions on. For him, as long as he's happy and enjoying it, that's the biggest thing."