Alex Ovechkin is a huge hockey stick collector and has talked about opening a museum when his playing days are over. One of the biggest payoffs of Ovi’s recent Stanley Cup victory was a game-used stick from Wayne Gretzky.
So when a fellow hockey legend wishes they had a hockey stick from the Capitals captain, Ovechkin feels that want from a personal place.
So with that context, I bring you to the Capitals’ game against the Dallas Stars on Friday.
Before the game, Dallas Stars’ Hall of Fame defenseman, Sergei Zubov, had his number 56 retired by the team.
In the leadup of that moment, NHL.com’s Russian correspondent, Pavel Lysenkov, spoke to Zubov about the honor and asked him to reflect on his career. Zubov, who has one of his game-used hockey sticks going for a lot in an online auction, was also asked whose stick he wished he could buy.
“I have a home collection of about 20-25 sticks,” Zubov said. “I have one from Brett Hull, Teemu Selanne, Joe Sakic, Brian Leetch, Mike Modano. Old sticks, all made of titanium. Selanne’s stick is from very early in his NHL career. The one thing I should have done many years ago was get a stick from a rookie named Alex Ovechkin. That’s the one my collection is still missing.”
Ovechkin found out about Zubov’s wish and made sure to make things right for the Russian legend.
The two Russian greats faced off against one another twice early in Ovechkin’s career, and before he walked out of American Airlines Center after Friday’s win over the Stars, the Caps’ captain left one of his sticks especially for Zubov on the occasion of his sweater being hoisted to the rafters.
What a gift. What a guy.
Welcomed the legend. #Forever56 pic.twitter.com/p9fLZBzUeV
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) January 30, 2022
Share On