The relationship and rivalry of Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby has been one of the primary NHL storylines since the two generational talents entered the league together during the 2005-06 campaign. The two team captains have been unable to escape comparison for almost two decades and through that forced bond have actually formed a friendship of sorts towards the end of their respective careers.
That newly-formed affinity for one another was on display during a recent Tim Horton’s ad shoot that Crosby did with Nathan MacKinnon. The two superstars played a game where they had to hold a Tim Horton’s hockey trading card on their foreheads and guess what player was on the card based on clues their partner gave them.
MacKinnon gave Crosby an interesting clue in one round and Sid the Kid came up with The Great Eight’s name.
“He’s your dog” Nate MacKinnon about Sidney Crosby and Mitch Marners friendship pic.twitter.com/EwhdxxPdvq
— Jo 🏒 (@puckdrop) October 13, 2023
“You guys have become really close recently,” Mackinnon said.
While Crosby was unknowingly holding up a Mitch Marner card on his forehead, his first answer wasn’t exactly wrong. “Ovi,” Crosby replied.
Ovechkin and Crosby first started being more friendly with one another at the 2017 All-Star Game. They hung out so much at that event that they spawned a ship name of “Crosvechkin”. In more recent years they’ve sat down for a joint interview in which Crosby says it would be awesome if Ovechkin topped Wayne Gretzky as the league’s all-time goal scorer.
The two took the next step in their bromance last year at the 2023 All-Star Game. After it was announced that they’d be sharing the ice for a Breakaway Challenge attempt, Ovechkin was asked about their relationship.
“He still enjoy play hockey, I’m still enjoying playing hockey,” Ovechkin said. “I’m pretty sure when me and him is going to be retired, we’re going to have a couple of beers together and talk about the whole thing that happened in the past 15, 16 years.
“We’re good friends,” Ovechkin continued. “We can call to each other. If he has some milestones coming up and he reach it – I call him, shoot him a text. First couple years we kind of was different relationship. We was young. But, now we’ve matured.”
The new, dynamic duo then went on to let Ovechkin’s son, Sergei, steal the show in the All-Star Skills Competition.
After receiving passes from the two future Hall of Famers, Ovi Jr. went in all alone on Roberto Luongo and scored five hole. The trio would go on to win the Breakaway Challenge with a perfect score of 40 for their efforts.
Let’s all hope we get more of these moments in the final years we get to see these two legends on the ice.
Headline photo: @CapitalsPR/X
