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Alex Ovechkin gave signed sticks to Mark and Marty Howe, had sons meet them after game

By Ian Oland

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December 20, 2022 12:11 pm

Mark and Marty Howe attended Monday’s Capitals-Red Wings game at Capital One Arena in support of Alex Ovechkin potentially catching or passing their father, Gordie, on the all-time goals list. The two Howes did not end up witnessing history, but they did have a chance to get further acquainted with Ovechkin and his own family.

After the game, Sergei and Ilya Ovechkin met their dad downstairs where he introduced them to Mark and Marty.

The end of the moment was captured by NBC Sports Washington’s Al Koken, whom Alan May jokingly called a social media influencer on the telecast.

The video shows the two families standing beside each other in the hallway as a Capitals spokesman high-fives and pats the head of Ilya Ovechkin.

Inside the locker room, Ovechkin gave signed game-used sticks to the brothers.

Ovi also took a photo with them.

Earlier in the day, Ovechkin called the support from the family “great” and revealed that Mark Howe told him in Philadelphia that “‘When you’re going to be close, if I have a chance, [we]’ll come and watch the game and I hope it happens.'”

Ovechkin also recalled the only time he met Gordie.

“I met him once in the All-Star Game,” Ovechkin said. “Obviously, it was a long time ago. Probably we’re talking about sticks and how different sticks are.”

He said his photo with Howe that he got signed “is probably my top thing in my collection.” He added that he also had things signed from Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. He also mentioned his prized game-used Wayne Gretzky stick. The Howe photo “is probably the top one,” Ovechkin said.

The Howe brothers spoke to the media while they were at the game and made an appearance during the telecast with Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin.

Mark revealed that he saw similarities between Gordie and Ovi, especially with how they were both power forwards. Though his dad was able to utilize that more back in his day.

“They’re both big powerful men,” Mark said. “I met Ovi, we sat down a week or 10 days ago when they played in Philly, I said, ‘The one thing, Ovi, that the referee has taken away a little bit, is [my dad] could intimidate with his physical presence. You’ve got to watch now because you start concussing people and getting suspended.’ But I said, ‘That creates a little room.’ My dad told us ‘You let people know when you’re on the ice and you make them pay the price.’ He said ‘That gave you a little bit more room and with a little more room you have a little bit more time and it makes a huge difference in goal scoring.'”

“He was the nicest person you could meet off the ice,” Marty said of his dad. “You didn’t want to meet him in the corner on the ice.”

Headline photo: @pennybacker

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