Connor McDavid grew up watching Alex Ovechkin become one of the NHL’s biggest stars, but the Edmonton Oilers captain admitted Tuesday that he was not rooting for the Washington Capitals winger at the time.
McDavid, a Sidney Crosby fan as a kid, said on Tuesday that his early fandom shaped how he viewed Ovechkin during the early years of the Russian’s rivalry with the Penguins’ captain.
“Well, I was a Sid fan, so I didn’t love him [when I was younger],” McDavid said. “But obviously, it’s amazing what he’s done in this game. Amazing career. Longevity, points, winning, you name it, he’s done all of it.”
Ovechkin announced Monday that the 2026-27 season will be his final NHL campaign. The 41-year-old is playing his 22nd season and is the league’s all-time goals leader with 929 through Tuesday.
McDavid acknowledged that his appreciation for Ovechkin changed as he got older and competed against him in the NHL, praising his knack for scoring.
“I’m really happy for him and want him to have a good last year to go out on a high note,” McDavid said. “He finds a way. They’ve had a good power play for a really long time. He stands over there and if you take him away, someone else is going to be open. Or you leave him open, and he blasts away. It’s kind of pick your poison.”
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
McDavid, however, made it clear that Ovechkin’s scoring career cannot be reduced to his signature one-timer from the left wing.
“He’s found a way to score throughout his career in many different ways, and obviously, the one-timer is one of them,” McDavid said. “He’s scored 900 goals, he’s scored so many different ways. It’s an impressive, impressive thing that he’s done.”
The Oilers and the Capitals will meet twice this season, starting with a game in Edmonton on Dec. 3 before the rematch takes place in Washington on Dec. 28.
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