Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin received a sculpture, an engraved golden hockey stick and a Rolex watch on Thursday as gifts for becoming the NHL’s leading goal scorer.
The Capitals captain was honored before his first home game since he broke Wayne Gretzky’s longtime record by scoring his 895th goal on Sunday at the New York Islanders. He had tied the record last week at home by scoring two goals.
The NHL had presented Ovechkin with a commissioned painting on Sunday during an on-ice ceremony after he broke the record. Gretzky told Capitals owner Ted Leonsis he had received a Rolls-Royce when he broke Gordie Howe’s record in 1994. Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin gave Ovechkin his stick after the game.
Capital One Arena was dressed for the occasion for Thursday’s pregame ceremony. Each seat had a towel saying ‘Gr8tness’ and ‘895’ and an image of Ovechkin sliding across the ice as he did on Sunday.
After a video of Ovechkin’s accomplishment played on the center ice scoreboard, Ovechkin and his family were presented with gifts.
In addition to Ovechkin getting a golden stick, his sons, Sergei and Ilya, received golden mini-sticks with Capitals play-by-play announcer Joe Beninati jokingly telling them not to use them on the street or hit their dad in the knees. The six-foot sculpture was by TYP.
Ovechkin and his mother Tatyana received Rolexes. His wife Nastya received a Cartier watch.
Ovechkin scored his record goal in his 1,487th career game, the same number of games that Gretzky played in his Hall of Fame career.
He has five games left this year, including Thursday, plus another year left on his contract, to build on his record, which will make it difficult to pass him. Ovechkin didn’t score Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes but he did have an assist and threw a number of big hits in the Capitals’ 5-4 shootout win that secured home ice for Washington throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Ovechkin was feted by 895 schoolchildren during Wednesday’s practice and the Capitals will hold another fan event Friday at Capital One Arena.
This story was updated with new information.
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