WASHINGTON — They don’t make players like Alex Ovechkin anymore.
The Washington Capitals captain has always been unabashedly himself, and going into career game No. 1,500 on Saturday against the Ottawa Senators, is the same way.
“Yeah, it’s pretty cool,” Ovechkin said of hitting 1,500 games. “Pretty special moment for me and for my family. Lucky enough to be able to play so many games and for one team. It’s pretty cool.”
The 6-foot-3, 238-pound Russian has made his mark as the greatest goal scorer in NHL history, but there’s more to him than that.
Beyond the goals, Ovechkin’s leadership goes a long way. He sets the tone, whether it’s his tenacity or attitude, or the willingness to throw a hit or block a shot. Even at 40 years old, he’s still doing what he can to help his team.
“He’s a machine,” Tom Wilson said. “He’ll tell you he’ll never change, and he’s had his foundation since he was a rookie in the league. He’s just a powerful, powerful man, and a lot goes into that on a daily basis. It’s incredible. No one would’ve had him breaking a leg and scoring 44 last year. It’s just a testament to how bad he wants it.”
There’s also his sneaky-good playmaking ability, his vision and his physicality that make him one of the most unique snipers and power forwards the league has seen.
Talking to Ovechkin, he’s said before that he wouldn’t change a thing, and he stands by that statement.
“For what?” he responded when asked why he wouldn’t change his game. “It’s all good.”
“He’s been himself every day since he came into the league… they don’t make them like him anymore, that’s for sure,” Wilson added.
It all just goes back to his pure love of the game.
After 21 seasons, players may grow tired of the constant wear-and-tear of the league, the relentless travel and playing a game every two nights. For Ovechkin, he never wants it to end.
“He’s able to every day wake up and he brings a love, enthusiasm and passion for the game and his teammates and coming to the rink and being in the locker room,” coach Spencer Carbery said. “So, I think mentally he’s been able to just do that every single day for whatever it is, 20 straight years, and that hasn’t changed. He hasn’t had dark days or, ‘Ah, you know, maybe I don’t feel like doing it.’”
“As miles pile up, I’m sure that everyone shares the same aches and pains. There’s just no way around playing that may games without feeling like crap in a lot of them, so he’s a warrior,” Carlson added of Ovechkin. “He’s laid it on the line for his teammates for a long, long time, and that’s a true testament to our captain.”
Through eight games this season, Ovechkin has two goals and five assists, and going into his milestone night, is one goal away from 900 in his career, a feat no other player has reached. He has the chance to do that on Saturday, on a perfect stage at home.
For Ovechkin, though, he’s just doing his job.
“It’s special,” Ovechkin said of the milestone. “Obviously, when you came into the league, you want to play as many games as you can. Fifteen hundred, it’s a pretty big number.”
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