Tonight’s home opener was the Russian’s last. On Monday, the 41-year-old announced that this would be his final season in the NHL.
The immensely popular team captain heard the home crowd chant his name as he smiled and patted his sons.
There was something symbolic about the opposition, too. Pittsburgh was the visiting team for the home opener and will also be the opponent in “Ovie’s” final game at Capital One Arena. Ovechkin and Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby, 39, have been at the heart of the NHL’s fiercest rivalry for 22 straight seasons. Only Mark Messier and Ron Francis have faced each other more often.
“As an athlete, it’s pretty cool to be a part of some big games and that rivalry,” Crosby said in April.
However, neither captain showed signs of being in great form, and both went scoreless in the game, which Washington won 5–3.
