Alex Ovechkin wrapped up his eighth goal-scoring title Saturday after scoring 51 times during the 2018-19 season. It’s the most goals the Russian machine has tallied since 2015. And he accomplished this despite coming off a shorter than normal summer due to the team’s first Stanley Cup championship.
With all that success comes accolades. And Ovechkin has won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy, first given out in 1999, eight times – six more than any other player.
Monday, after the Capitals’ first postseason practice, Nicklas Backstrom shared a new nickname he came up with for Ovi.
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“Maybe we should start calling him Mr. Rocket for now on,” Backstrom said on NBC Sports Washington’s Capitals Talk Preview.
That has a nice ring to it, if you ask me.
When pointed out by Rob Carlin that Ovechkin would probably hate that moniker, Backstrom responded, “It’s fine. I can start it.”
Other than Ovechkin, no player in NHL history has been awarded the Richard Trophy more than twice, according to Wikipedia. Pavel Bure, Jarome Iginla, Steven Stamkos, and Sidney Crosby are the only other players to win it multiple times.
Ovechkin is also the only player in NHL history to lead the league in goal-scoring eight times.
Headline photo: NBC Sports Washington
