Alex Ovechkin received an extra-special introduction ahead of his final home opener with the Washington Capitals.
Ovechkin, who announced earlier this week that the 2026-27 NHL season will be his last, was called out onto the ice by his two sons, Sergei and Ilya.
The two boys, fully clad in Capitals gear, including their dad’s iconic number 8 jersey, took the mic after Caps PA announcer Wes Johnson got done introducing the rest of the club’s roster.
Alex Ovechkin introduced by sons, Sergei and Ilya (via @Capitals/X)
“Your captain, number 8, Alexander Ooooooooovechkin,” Sergei and Ilya sheepishly yelled.
Ovechkin then hugged his sons before joining the rest of his Capitals teammates at center ice as the Capital One Arena crowd roared.
Ovechkin was also mic’d up for tonight’s nationally televised game on TNT.
At the center-ice faceoff circle, after Sergei and Ilya introduced him, he told Tom Wilson, beaming, “They nailed it, yup.”
“Yeah, it was pretty cool moment,” Ovechkin said after the game. “It was huge crowd, kids announce my name. Yeah, it was pretty special moment.
“I was talking to one of my kids before that and they was nervous as well, but you have [to have a mindset of] don’t worry about it, don’t be nervous, and just say it and it’ll be okay. Yeah it was pretty cool.”
Ovechkin ended up having no points during the Capitals’ 5-3 win, finishing his home opener career with 31 points (20g, 11a) in 21 games since making his NHL debut on October 5, 2005, when he scored two goals in his first game at the then MCI Center.
Wednesday night’s matchup was also Ovechkin’s 101st all-time regular-season and playoffs combined, against his rival, Sidney Crosby.
“It’s gonna be lots of memories lots of fun when they grow up,” Ovechkin said of his kids. ” We’re going to watch it together. It’s pretty special.”
