Alex Ovechkin is one of the NHL’s greatest players. As he chases the record for most goals in league history, Ovechkin leaves another impact on his teammates around him. Former Capital Zach Fucale didn’t spend long playing behind the Great Eight, but the experience left an impact all the same.

Fucale, who served as the Hershey Bears’ backup goaltender during their Calder Cup run, signed with the KHL’s Traktor Chelyabinsk over the summer and made his KHL debut earlier this month.

He spoke on his time with Ovechkin during an interview with Russian outlet Metaratings.ru.

“Ovechkin is a man with outstanding achievements in hockey,” Fucale said, as translated by Google Translate. “Of course, everyone knows this and I’m not saying anything new, but he is very important for the team. Of course, I was pleased to watch his achievements, it was incredible to take part in those games where he reached new heights.”

Fucale spent three seasons with the Capitals organization, playing primarily for the Hershey Bears. He held a record of 41-26-9 during his time with the Bears, and often served as a call-up in Washington. Though he mostly played as a backup when in Washington, Fucale played four games for the Capitals in 2021-22. He set a record for longest shutout streak to start an NHL career, playing 138:07 before letting in a single goal.

Whether from the crease, the bench, or back in Hershey, Fucale watched as Ovechkin inched closer to Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 goals, breaking a slew of other milestones along the way.

Fucale served as the Capitals’ backup on Gr802 Night, celebrating Ovechkin passing Gordie Howe to become the second-highest goal scorer in NHL history. Ovechkin would record his thirteenth forty-goal season that night, becoming the first NHL player to do so. Watching Ovechkin’s accomplishments over the years isn’t something Fucale will soon forget.

“I consider myself very lucky to see everything with my own eyes. It felt like every time I was promoted to the Capitals, Ovechkin was breaking one record or another. This is wonderful. As a player you understand that things like this don’t happen every day. I learned a lot from being around him,” he said.

Headline photo: Alan Dobbins/RMNB