Charlie Lindgren scored one of the most embarrassing own goals in NHL history, casually firing a backhand directly into the Capitals’ net against the Tampa Bay Lightning on November 27.
“It was obviously the worst mistake I’ve probably ever made in my life,” Lindgren said after the game.
But now, months later, the 31-year-old goaltender has a new perspective on the regrettable moment thanks to Alex Ovechkin.
According to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, Ovechkin asked Lindgren for the goalie stick he used to score his unofficial first NHL goal.
“It was a pretty cool moment,” Ovechkin explained to Gulitti. “A pretty funny moment.”
Ovechkin wanted the twig to add to his massive collection of game-used sticks that he plans to display in a museum in his native Russia.
“Obviously, after the fact, everyone had a lot of fun with it,” Lindgren said. “He was hurt at that time, so I think it was the next practice or next day, he said, ‘Hey, I want you to sign that stick for the museum.’ I’m like, ‘All right. Perfect.'”
The Capitals used the own goal as a rallying point against Tampa Bay, scoring two straight goals in the third period to earn a 5-4 comeback victory.
Ovechkin’s ask further allowed Lindgren to own the moment and find peace in it, as evidenced by the inscription he added to the stick.
“O, thanks for teaching me how to score goals,” Lindgren wrote.
Ovechkin tells Gulitti that he has recently shipped many of his sticks and other memorabilia to Russia in preparation for the museum opening, and likely to soothe his wife Nastya’s growing annoyance about them filling their home gym and basement.
Outside of others’ sticks and gear, Ovechkin is also saving his own sticks, jerseys, gloves, and pucks from each goal he scores en route to surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record.
Lindgren’s unlucky twig will join a host of sticks that Ovechkin has collected from his NHL peers and legends like Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. And, Ovechkin didn’t even have to win a Stanley Cup to get it from him.
“I’ll gladly take it,” Lindgren said. “That’s a stick I wanted to forget about, but it’s going to be hanging out forever. I’ll have to go check it out one day. It will be kind of funny to look at it.”
