Alex Ovechkin has given out plenty of signed sticks during his legendary 20-season career in the NHL. However, the latest one, gifted to Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson last Tuesday, has special sentiment behind it.
Sportsnet’s Eric Francis shared the story on a recent Flames TV broadcast and snapped a few photos of Andersson holding the signed twig.
This is the stick I spoke about on the broadcast, which Alex Ovechkin gave to Rasmus Andersson in Washington for playing a role in securing Ovie’s Rocket Richard Trophy in 2019. pic.twitter.com/Rk4Z2a6Zcy
— Eric Francis (@EricFrancis) March 1, 2025
At the end of the 2018-19 NHL season, Ovechkin finished alone atop the goal-scoring leaderboard with 51 tallies, securing his eighth career Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy. However, there was a distinct chance that Ovechkin may have had to share the trophy with Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl without intervention from Andersson late in an April 6, 2019 game between the Flames and Oilers.
During Draisaitl’s final game of the 2018-19 regular season, the German superstar potted an early first-period goal against the Flames to give him his first-career 50-goal season. The Oilers would eventually go up 3-1 after goals from former Capitals winger Alex Chiasson and Darnell Nurse, which led to Calgary pulling netminder Mike Smith for an extra attacker.
With 51.4 seconds remaining in regulation, Draisaitl flipped a backhand from near center ice at the Scotiabank Saddledome that appeared to be labeled for the yawning cage. Instead, Andersson reached up and batted the puck down with a high stick, keeping Draisaitl stuck at 50 and Ovechkin the sole goal leader in the league.
Ovechkin and the Capitals had played earlier in the day, getting shut out by the New York Islanders. The Great Eight went without a goal in that season’s final three games, allowing Draisaitl an opportunity to make a comeback, scoring three goals in his final two games.
However, thanks to Andersson, he couldn’t get the last goal that would have given him a share of the postseason silverware. Ovechkin would go on to win a ninth Richard Trophy the next year, sharing it with Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak after NHL commissioner Gary Bettman called an early end to the 2019-20 campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Andersson had another notable interaction with a Capitals player this season, getting into a prolonged chirpfest with Tom Wilson during Washington’s visit to Calgary in January. The two taunted each other back and forth, but eventually resolved their differences postgame through Andersson’s former teammate Andrew Mangiapane.
“After the game, [Rasmussen] had Andrew Mangiapane over to the house as the Capitals stayed over in Calgary” Ryan Leslie detailed on Sportsnet’s broadcast last Tuesday. “Then through Mangiapane, texted Wilson, saying, ‘Why don’t you come over and join us for a beer?’ Little late in the game, he couldn’t, but the olive branch was extended.”
Draisaitl has not held the goal-scoring title in any of the five seasons since Andersson’s play, but seems assured to secure his first this year. The 29-year-old centerman has 44 goals through 60 games, nine more goals than the second-place William Nylander (35). He is on pace to become the 24th player in NHL history to record a 60-goal season.
