Home / News / Alex Ovechkin becomes first NHL player to win ESPY for Best Male Athlete

Alex Ovechkin becomes first NHL player to win ESPY for Best Male Athlete

By Ian Oland (@ianoland) on July 18, 2018 | 1 Comment

Alex Ovechkin better get a second trophy room in his dacha, because this summer he just can’t stop winning trophies.

After fetching his seventh Maurice “Rocket” Richard trophy and his first ever Conn Smythe (playoff MVP) and Stanley Cup, Ovechkin was awarded Best Male Athlete and Best NHL Player at this year’s ESPYs – ESPN’s annual awards show.

Ovechkin received more votes than Tom Brady, James Harden, and Jose Altuve for Best Male Athlete while he bested Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, and Marc-André Fleury for Best NHL Player. The Capitals, who were nominated for Best Team, lost out to the Houston Astros.

Ovechkin is the first NHL player to ever win Best Male Athlete (25 years). The only other local player to win the award was Cal Ripken in 1996.

The Great 8 was not at Microsoft Theatre to accept either ESPY. After announcing Ovechkin as the winner for Best Male Athlete, Kate Beckinsale accepted the award on Ovi’s behalf, saying “he’s in Russia with his wife, who is eight and half months pregnant.”

Here are all the award winners on the evening.

More from the Capitals:

ARLINGTON, Va. – Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has been named the recipient of the Best Male Athlete at the 2018 ESPYS, becoming the first NHL player to win the award since the inaugural ESPYs in 1993. Ovechkin beat out Jose Altuve (Houston Astros), James Harden (Houston Rockets) and Tom Brady (New England Patriots).

Following a 49-goal season, Ovechkin won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the NHL’s top goal scorer for NHL-record seventh time. Ovechkin is tied with Bobby Hull for the most times a single player has led the NHL in goals in a season. This postseason, the Moscow, Russia, native captured his first Conn Smythe Trophy and became the first Russian player to captain a Stanley Cup champion. Ovechkin ranks first in franchise history in goals (607), points (1,122), power play goals (229), game-winning goals (102), overtime goals (22), shots (4,896) and multi-goal games (120). Additionally, since entering the NHL at the beginning of the 2005-06 season, Ovechkin leads the NHL in goals (607), points (1,122), power-play goals (229), power play points (436), game-winning goals (102) and shots (4,896). Ovechkin leads the NHL in goals since 1998-99 and shots since the 1994-95 season despite beginning his NHL career in 2005. Ovechkin, 32, became the second player since the 1967-68 expansion era to lead the NHL in goals at the age of 32 or older (Phil Esposito led the NHL twice in goals just before his 33rd and 34th birthday).

Ovechkin recorded his 1,100th career point (592g, 508a) on Feb. 15 against the Minnesota Wild and became the 61st player in NHL history to reach the 1,100-point milestone, reaching the feat in his 978th career game. Only 23 players required fewer games to accumulate 1,100 career points, with Jaromir Jagr (825 games, played on Nov. 30, 2001 as a member of the Capitals) the last to hit the mark in less than 1,000 games. Additionally, Ovechkin, who on Jan. 11, 2017, became the lone Capitals player to compile 1,000 career points (880 GP) and became the 26th player in NHL history to require fewer than 100 contests to move from 1,000 to 1,100 (98 GP).

The Capitals were also finalists for the Best Team category.

The ESPYs gather top celebrities from sports and entertainment to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major sports achievements, reliving unforgettable moments and saluting the leading performers and performances. The ESPYs honor ESPN’s commitment to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, a partnership launched with the late Jim Valvano at the inaugural ESPYs in 1993.

#Ovi made history at the #ESPYS tonight 👏

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Headline photo: ESPN

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