National Hockey League (NHL) history was made on Sat. June 26, 2004, when the Washington Capitals selected Alexander Ovechkin, also known as “Ovi,” as their number one overall pick. Now, over 22 years later, Ovechkin is playing in his final NHL season ever.
The 41-year-old has played his entire career for the Capitals. He was born and raised in Moscow, Russia, and was interested in hockey from age two. His older brother, Sergei, died when Ovi was only 10, and Ovi used that as motivation to get better and continue to win in his brother’s honor.
I grew up in a hockey household. My parents went to school in the Northeast, and my dad has been playing hockey since his early childhood. We had no interest in basketball, football, or baseball — just hockey and fútbol. I moved from Los Angeles, which has a great franchise, to Atlanta just as the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg. So, unfortunately for us, it was impossible to root for our own city’s team.
By the time I was in middle school, I decided I wanted to stop following in my dad’s footsteps and branch out from being a Minnesota Wild fan. My cousins in Virginia were Caps fans, so of course I hopped on their bandwagon. Something about the team at the time just drew me in. Everybody seemed so eager and passionate — very different from what I saw from the Wild at the time. Their star player and captain, Ovi, quickly became my favorite player in the league. He’s big, Russian, and has an amazing “one-timer.”Â
The story about him and his brother always stuck with me. When their parents couldn’t take Ovi to practice or games, Sergei would find time to get him there. Ovi still pays tribute to his brother after every goal. He also brought the Stanley Cup to his grave so they could share the moment together, and even named his first son after his older brother. The love he has for his family made me appreciate his leadership so much more.
After almost nine years of being a Capitals fan, this will be my last season rooting for “The Great Eight.” It’s bittersweet; he’s had a great run, but it’s going to be weird not seeing his name on the scoreboard anymore. He’s led my favorite team to their first Stanley Cup championship and beat Wayne Gretzky’s record for most regular-season career goals.Â
There may never be another player that I feel connected with like this ever again, but I’m excited to see what the future holds for the Capitals. And, hopefully, Ovi’s number “8” is raised to the rafters.Â
I will miss you, Ovechkin!
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