The captain of the Capitals was pretty surprised when a crowd of rivals rolled up to him.
December 24 was a special day for Alexandra Ovechkina. Captain “Washington” finally climbed to second place in the ranking of the best scorers in NHL history, beating the legendary Gordie Howe.
Now congratulations to the hockey player come from all over the world. But one of the first Russians, right on the ice, was unexpectedly congratulated by rivals, breaking the tradition of the league.
Now that’s respect!
The second sniper in history
The expectation of another breakthrough in the career of the Russian hockey player dragged on for five matches. Fans were expecting the Washington captain to score two goals to become the second-most regular-season scoring player in league history.
But after a hat-trick in the match against Chicago, which took place on December 14, the puck from Ovi did not go into the opponents’ gate. During this period, he managed to play four games and give the same number of assists. But the long-awaited 802nd puck did not submit to Alexander.
Great hopes were placed on the meeting with Winnipeg. The Jets franchise is a favorite for Ovechkin’s sniping exploits. The captain of the capital club scored more goals for Winnipeg and Atlanta than for other teams.
And the expectations were justified. The Russian hockey player managed to score two goals, catch up and get around the famous Canadian striker Gordie Howe during the match.
“That’s how they showed me respect”
A significant event occurred at the end of the game, when the “supersonic” took off the goalkeeper to recoup. But this only led to one more missed goal. Alexander was the author. Ovi scored a spectacular goal, throwing at the opponents’ goal without looking.
After the goal was scored, the whole team rushed to congratulate the Russian player. In a fit of joy, they pressed the hockey player to the board. It looked very funny. But what happened after the final siren was not expected even by the captain of the capital’s club.
The entire Winnipeg team lined up to congratulate the Russian. You need to understand that handshakes in the NHL after regular season games are not practiced. This is a huge rarity in the league. Surprised, Alexander warmly thanked each Jets player for congratulations.
So they showed me respect. The game is the game. But there is something more than a game. We must respect each other. Moreover, everyone understands that it was a historic moment, ”Ovechkin said after the match.
But the club did not limit itself to congratulating the hockey players. In the official networks of Winnipeg, a funny congratulation from the Russian also appeared.
Congratulations to Alex Ovechkin and Washington on this historic night. We wish you good luck in the pursuit of 894 goals, I hope there will be no more against us,” the club said in a statement.
Before the historical mark, Alexander the Great has 92 goals left. And with each abandoned puck, the confidence that this record will be submitted to the Russian becomes more and more.
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