Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin reached the pinnacle of his future Hall of Fame career (so far) in June 2018, becoming playoff MVP and gleefully raising the Stanley Cup for the first time. Ovi then lived his best life celebrating with the NHL’s championship trophy. He invented the Cup stand, slept with the Stanley Cup, and swam shirtless in the fountains of the Georgetown Waterfront.
These moments captivated NHL fans and made one of the most popular and most marketable players in the league even more popular.
According to ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, Ovechkin’s jersey sales during the 2018-19 season are more than any other player.
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Alex Ovechkin | Capitals | |
| 2. | Sidney Crosby | Penguins | |
| 3. | Marc-Andre Fleury | Golden Knights | |
| 4. | Auston Matthews | Maple Leafs | |
| 5. | Patrick Kane | Blackhawks | |
| 6. | Jonathan Toews | Blackhawks | |
| 7. | Patrice Bergeron | Bruins | |
| 8. | Connor McDavid | Oilers | |
| 9. | Claude Giroux | Flyers | |
| 10. | Brent Burns | Sharks |
Sidney Crosby ranks second in jersey sales while Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, Leafs forward Auston Matthews, and the Blackhawks Patrick Kane round out the top five.
“It’s just the latest example of his iconic status in the game and his global appeal and popularity,” Ovechkin’s agent, David Abrutyn, said when asked for comment.
Capitals’ championship gear and Ovechkin’s continued goalscoring dominance likely helped buoy him to the top. A spokesman for Fanatics said the Capitals Stanley Cup Championship merchandise broke the e-commerce sales record set by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016. Overall sales of Stanley Cup Championship merchandise was also up 25 percent over 2017, when the Penguins won their back-to-back title.
Ovechkin also leads the league in goals with 44 and seems likely to eclipse the 50-goal mark for the eigth time in his career.
Ovechkin ranked sixth in jersey sales last season while Capitals forward TJ Oshie finished just outside the top ten. A Capitals’ Stadium Series design was released early last year.
