HERSHEY, PA — Alex Ovechkin played one game in Hershey during his career as a member of the Washington Capitals. On September 25, 2005, Ovechkin, a 20-year-old rookie, took the ice at Giant Center in a preseason game as the Caps defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 before 6,216 fans.
Twenty years, six months, twenty-nine days later, Ovechkin made his return to Hershey, but this time as a fan, driving up and attending the team’s home playoff game against the Bridgeport Islanders.
During that span between appearances, Ovechkin won the Stanley Cup (2018), nine Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophies (NHL record), three Hart Memorial Trophies, three Ted Lindsay Awards, the Art Ross Trophy, the Mark Messier Leadership Award, and the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year. Ovechkin also went from a fresh-faced young gun with all his teeth to a slam-dunk first-ballot Hockey Hall of Famer, known for his trademark gap-toothed smile.
The idea appeared to first pop up for Ovechkin toward the end of the Capitals’ season as Ilya Protas was recalled to the NHL for the first time. Ilya posted four points in the Caps’ final four games of the year, spending ample time with Ovechkin off the ice.
“Well, like, I remember, actually, he told me and my brother, he might come to Hershey,” Ilya Protas told RMNB at Hershey’s Breakdown Day on Friday. “I was like, ‘No way!’ I’m probably going to be shaking before the game because you see Big Man in the stands. I was like, ‘Don’t (joke)! Get real!’ [because] I know how much boys are going to love it, how much is going to give (us) more energy.”
While the Capitals missed the postseason for just the fifth time in the Ovechkin Era, the Bears clinched a playoff spot on April 15 with a 5-1 win over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Ovechkin said during his final media availability of the season that he would remain in North America through mid-May before flying home to Russia, giving him the rare opportunity to attend.
With Aliaksei Protas traveling to Hershey several times before to support his little brother and the Capitals captain especially close with the Russian-speaking prospects on the team, Ovechkin ultimately decided to join his teammate on April 23 for Game 2 of the Bears’ first-round series against the Islanders — with the Capitals’ AHL affiliate having an opportunity to clinch the three-game series that night.
In the morning, Aliaksei told Bryan Helmer, the Bears’ VP of Hockey Operations, that Ovechkin’s attendance at the game was a possibility. Later, in the afternoon, the Capitals’ Hockey Operations crew relayed to a small group in Hershey that Ovechkin was indeed coming up.
When Ovi arrived, he was met by team security and Hershey staffer Kyle Harris. Hershey Entertainment & Resorts management then made sure Ovi was taken care of, giving him and Aliaksei both access to a company suite. While Protas got inside early to take in warmups in the referee tunnel, Ovechkin arrived right around game time.
“I think I saw his name on one of the tickets when I was walking by in my warmup,” Bears goaltender Clay Stevenson recalled. “I didn’t really think too much of it.”
Ivan Miroshnichenko first noticed Ovechkin from ice level shortly before puck drop.
“I just sit before game and see in suite in front of me, Ovi sit and eat Cheetos,” Miroshnichenko said, smiling. “I don’t know, I’m shocked.”
Word began to spread from there.
“Miro told me on the bench,” Bears forward Sam Bitten said. “I guess he has eyes everywhere. He was sitting right next to me and said, ‘The Big Man’s up there.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, you know what that means? We can’t lose when he’s here.'”
The Bears received permission from the Capitals’ Hockey Operations staff to show Ovechkin on camera, and with 12:45 remaining in the first period, the legendary winger was revealed on the jumbotron, sitting in a Giant Center suite above section 107.
Alex Ovechkin announced to the crowd in Hershey
Ovechkin waved a towel and did the ROAR celebration, first made famous by the Bears’ 2023 Calder Cup championship team, getting a huge ovation from the 7,404 fans in attendance.
As Ovechkin’s appearance began going viral on social media, which included taking a photo with the team’s mascot Coco, the Bears seemed to get a lift on the ice after the announcement.
“It’s a good emotion for everybody, and I think everybody liked him in the box,” Bogdan Trineyev added. “The fans were really happy. It was really great memories.”
Meanwhile, some players believed certain teammates had advance notice.
“I was joking with Pro (Ilya Protas), I think he knew before, so I was like, ‘Now I know why [you] had so much energy to go right from the start,'” Andrew Cristall said.
“I didn’t know,” Ilya said. “My brother didn’t tell me actually he’s coming. I just saw him waving the towel, that’s how I find out he’s at the game… it was unreal to see him come down.”
The Bears would go on to win the game 5-2, scoring three times at even strength before piling on two empty-netters late in the game. The victory swept Bridgeport out of the first round of the playoffs and out of existence, as they are relocating to Hamilton, Ontario, next season.
Ovechkin then made his way downstairs and joined the Bears in their locker room, sitting beside Ivan Miroshnichenko at Alex Gaffney’s locker stall.
“You know, I think for me, for maybe Pro, Bogey, it’s okay,” Miroshnichenko said, suggesting that they were more used to Ovechkin’s aura after spending close time with him in Washington. “But for all guys here who first time see Ovi, it’s amazing. Amazing feeling. I think it’s unbelievable for fans here. For everyone here.”
“I mean, there’s a lot of shocked faces,” Bears alternate captain Louie Belpedio recalled. “Kind of like, ‘Oh, what’s he doing here?’ It meant a lot for all of us in that room.”
Bitten, who scored on a hard-work net drive, received the Hershey firefighter outfit and helmet as the Players’ MVP of the night, getting the nod from Clay Stevenson.
“This is an unbelievable time of the year, guys,” Bitten said inside the locker room. “We came out swinging. Those games are quick, but let’s enjoy the time off. Happy to get the one for The Big Man here.”
Ovechkin clapped and put his fist in the air as the rest of the team applauded in appreciation of him.
Weeks later, Bitten, an undrafted player who had spent the previous five seasons trying to find a home in the AHL and Europe, was particularly grateful for the experience.
“Honestly, (that was) probably the best moment of my career,” Bitten, who played for an OHL championship and suited up with his brother in a Blues preseason game, said. “It was pretty fun. I had a lot of messages from that, and people going, ‘It’s so cool.’ It just shows what kind of guy he is. You know, the best goal scorer in the history of the NHL is just sitting in the locker room being one of the guys. And I thought that was the coolest part for me, just seeing him there. And I had to give him a nod. He was just staring right at me. So it was pretty funny. And seeing him have that celebration, we had a pretty good laugh about it.”
As his players took in the moment, Bears head coach Derek King had ulterior motives dancing through his mind, no matter the impracticality of it all.
“I was hoping we were signing him to a PTO or something like that, and get him in the lineup or at least take warmup,” he quipped.
Stevenson had perhaps the most interesting perspective, starting in goal for what may have been Ovechkin’s final NHL game on April 14 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, before returning to Hershey for their playoff run.
“It’s always an honor to play in front of the Big Man,” Stevenson said. “He’s such a presence, and he is so fun to be around. He’s such a character in the best way. It’s just a privilege to even know him a little bit, right, and have him in the locker room. The guys get to meet him. He’s a special human, and you know it’s a privilege to have him come here and be in the room.”
The only detail that remained a mystery was how Ovechkin ended up wearing a Hershey Bears branded zip-up sweatshirt during the game. Did Aliaksei Protas make a trip to the Giant Center team store and fetch it for him? Did a Hershey Entertainment & Resorts employee leave him for him in the suite as a gift and ultimately the greatest goal-scorer of all time decided, Yes, I will definitely wear this. Regardless, the decision to throw it on showed a huge amount of respect to the players and the entire organization.
“Last time I was here, my rookie year,” Ovechkin said. “You can see how many championships they have. You can see how many talented players this organization have — obviously, Protas, Miro, Bogdan, Cristall — so all those young guys are gonna be like really good players.”
