Leonard, Ovechkin bond as ‘Gr8 Chase’ overshadows rookie’s first week

Capitals rookie Ryan Leonard wasn’t born yet when Alex Ovechkin was drafted in 2004. He was only eight months old when the Russian scored his first two goals in his NHL debut in 2005.

Nearly 20 years later, Washington’s newest skater has a front-row seat to watch Ovechkin chase history.

Leonard debuted on Tuesday against his hometown Boston Bruins, the same day Ovechkin scored the 891st goal of his career. The new teammates repeated the performance on Wednesday when the Capitals traveled to Carolina to face the Hurricanes.

Washington lost 5-1 in a blowout, but the lone goal came from Ovechkin. The Capitals’ captain now needs just three goals to break Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record. Leonard is looking for his first.

The friendship started to blossom on Monday, about 24 hours after Leonard’s career at Boston College ended with a disappointing NCAA Tournament loss.

Ovechkin, a team leader, texted the rookie and took him out for sushi. Then it was Leonard’s turn to give the Russian a tour of Boston.

“Ovi wanted to see where I went to school, so [we] went there for probably 30 minutes to an hour, just to show him,” Leonard told the team’s website. “He loved it.”

The team-building continued with a trip to a bar, where Ovechkin sang “Bandz A Make Her Dance,” defenseman Jakob Chychrun’s new goal song. A video of the 39-year-old’s rendition went viral on social media.

“Not a lot of time you’re getting to go to dinner with one of the greats,” Leonard said. “So yeah, just trying to embrace it.”

The embrace continued with a stick swap between Leonard and Ovechkin during Tuesday morning’s pre-game skate. Washington’s all-time leading goal scorer wasn’t impressed.

“He doesn’t like my stick, so that didn’t go too hot,” Leonard told reporters on Tuesday. “But it was pretty cool just to go out there and shoot with his.”

The first week of NHL action has been a whirlwind for Leonard. The No. 8 pick in the 2023 NHL draft has kept up admirably, according to his coaches and teammates.

“To step into a game a couple days after his college season ends and play the way he did is pretty impressive,“ Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. ”He showed a lot of good things.”

In his first two games, Leonard has skated with Aliaksei Protas and Dylan Strome on Washington’s second line. The rookie has notched seven hits and a takeaway in 30 minutes on the ice.

None of his first five shots have found the back of the net, though.

“I thought he was excellent,” Carbery said in an early review. “Liked his game. Bunch of different touches he had. He obviously plays a big factor on the goal.”

There’s room for improvement. His three giveaways haven’t been backbreakers, but the coaching staff will want to see him tighten up as a puck handler.

“It’s definitely a lot faster than college,” Leonard said after his debut. “You have to manage the puck a little bit better. I learned as the game went on. Hopefully, I’ll keep getting better.”

The Boston College product has time to develop, though.

The NHL spotlight will remain locked onto Ovechkin until the regular season ends on April 17. At his current pace, the “Great Eight” will pass the “Great One” on April 13 at Capital One Arena in the District.

The Eastern Conference-leading Capitals return to the ice on Friday night against the Chicago Blackhawks. Capitals players will join fans in rooting for an Ovechkin hat trick.

“I think everybody would love to have it on Friday night, him and us, for him to get that record,” Capitals center Pierre-Luc Dubois told NHL.com. “So, we’re hoping for that.”

The “Gr8 Chase” hasn’t rattled Ovechkin, who has routinely deflected questions or responded with a handful of platitudes. It’d be an honor to pass Gretzky. He isn’t thinking about it too much. He’s focused on the team, which has clinched a playoff spot and home-ice advantage in the first round.

That didn’t change this week.

“It feels the same,” Ovechkin told reporters on Wednesday night.