Capitals fans, teammates give Ovechkin royal send-off in his potential final NHL game

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Capitals wanted to get their captain just one more goal. Sure, Alex Ovechkin had already found the back of the net an NHL-record 929 times, but Tuesday night was different.

The 2-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets in the season finale may have been Ovechkin’s final game in the NHL. Every Capitals fan, player and coach wanted it to end with a bang. 

There were no real stakes, no postseason ramifications and no trophy on the line on Tuesday; the Capitals and Blue Jackets were both eliminated from postseason contention on Monday night. 

But the pressure to give visiting Washington fans a lasting Ovechkin memory loomed large in the game’s final minutes.

So when Columbus, trailing 2-1 in the final two minutes, emptied its net, there was no way that Capitals coach Spencer Carbery was going to pull Ovechkin from the game.

According to his teammates, giving the “Great Eight” one last goal-scoring opportunity was the least they could do.

“Respect first. Whenever he’s on the ice, try to get it to Ovi,” said forward Tom Wilson, the only remaining Capital who lifted the Stanley Cup with Ovechkin in 2018. “You never know. It’s been such a tremendous honor. There’s really no words to describe what he means to me.”

An electric contingent of fans only fed into the hunger for a goal. 

But Ovechkin, uncharacteristically, couldn’t light the lamp one last time. His best shot at an empty-netter sailed just off the mark. He had to settle for an assist on Jakob Chychrun’s game-winning goal as the Capitals secured a victory in the finale. 

Ovechkin’s loyal subjects made one more pilgrimage on Tuesday night. The Capitals’ faithful wanted to give the NHL’s goal-scoring king a fittingly regal sendoff, just in case the season finale was their idol’s last.

The sea of red jerseys flooded into Columbus’ arena more than an hour before the opening puck drop. They flocked to the glass, eager to get as close as possible to the man who has epitomized hockey in Washington for more than two decades. 

Many of them sported construction paper signs. “418 miles to see my idol,” one sign read. “Thanks for everything, Caps legend.”

Several spectators reported making the seven-hour drive from the nation’s capital to Ohio’s capital for the game. 

“This is a special moment. Even if it is one more year, it’s still: what if?” said season-ticket holder Patrick Cavey, who also attended Sunday’s home finale. “The ‘what if’ is making everybody come out.”

The visiting fans were prominent throughout Columbus on Tuesday. The city’s airport and sports bars were filled with red No. 8 jerseys. 

“We don’t know what’s going on yet, but if this is his last game, every Caps fan wants to be here,” Mr. Cavey said. “It’s amazing how many people have come out just to give tribute to the Great Eight.”

Ovechkin noticed. 

“It was very nice,” he said after the game. “I could hear them cheering for me and screaming ‘one more year.’ It’s important, shows lots of respect. Thanks for the support.”

After the game, Ovechkin wore the same beanie on his gray hair, the same slides on his battered feet as he addressed his teammates. He appeared relaxed as he spoke with the media, but the nature of his discussion with the Capitals remained confidential. 

“He’s doing his best job just to keep it normal. He definitely doesn’t want any extra attention,” Wilson said. “He’s the man. However he wants to do it, but right now, he’s not tipping his hand, not telling us what’s going on.”

Ovechkin has likely grown tired of repeating himself. Questions about his retirement have been met with the same deadpan answers: “I haven’t decided” or “We’ll see.”

But the retirement mumblings have evolved into full-throated shouts in recent weeks, drowning out discussions of the Capitals’ playoff push, which ended on Monday. 

The 40-year-old’s deal expires this offseason. For years, it’s looked like Ovechkin’s current contract would be his last. He’ll be 41 before the start of next season and has long said he’d like to return to Russia to play a final season with his hometown Dynamo Moscow in the KHL before hanging up his yellow-laced skates for good. 

The three-time MVP said a decision would arrive this summer. Fans, analysts and former teammates have been divided about whether he returns for another year or rides off into the sunset. 

“If he doesn’t want to talk about it, we’re not going to bring it up to him,” Capitals center Dylan Strome said before Tuesday’s game. “We’re going to be there to support him, whatever that may be,” 

He isn’t at his athletic peak, but Ovechkin hasn’t lost his love for the game. He played in every game for Washington for the fifth time in his NHL career this season. He is still the first to hug his teammates when they score. He led the team in both goals and points on the year. His comments in recent weeks have centered on the Capitals’ ill-fated efforts to qualify for the postseason, not his retirement. 

Even former teammate T.J. Oshie, who worked as a rink-side reporter for ESPN on Tuesday, couldn’t get Ovechkin to reflect on what he’d miss most about life in the NHL.

“I didn’t step away yet, so we’ll figure it out,” Ovechkin responded.

He didn’t play like a man ready to retire on Tuesday. There was no final speech, no tribute video, no misty eyes and no wistful looks toward the crowd after his 1,573rd NHL game. The only hint toward his future was a coy smile as he walked off the ice.

The 40-year-old might still come back for a 22nd season. He said he plans to go through the end-of-season process with Washington’s front office before returning to Russia with his family. His health will be the top decider in his retirement decision.

“I hope it’s not my last game,” Ovechkin said. “I don’t know, how I said, what’s going to happen. We’ll see.”