Max Scherzer was in the building to watch the Washington Capitals shut out the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.
The 41-year-old former ace pitcher for the Washington Nationals sat next to Blue Jays teammate George Springer in one of Scotiabank Arena’s suites. Scherzer had indicated to the Toronto Sun that he wanted to attend the matchup last month, which could have been Alex Ovechkin‘s final game in Toronto.
“I looked at the schedule, and there is one (Leafs game) I’m really circling here,” Scherzer also told The Leafs Nation in March. “It’s when the Capitals come into town. I want to find a way to get to that. I want to see Ovechkin one more time. I want to come out there and see him.”
Scherzer was able to attend the game, as the Blue Jays hosted the Los Angeles Dodgers in a day game at Rogers Centre, just five minutes from the arena. The 3-time Cy Young Award winner is also currently dealing with some injury issues, as he left a start early against the Dodgers on Monday, throwing just 36 pitches in two innings.
According to the team, Scherzer is suffering from right forearm tendinitis, although he has been cleared to start against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday. He had started the season in near prime form, throwing six innings of four-hit, one-run baseball in a 5-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on March 31.
Scherzer wanting to see Ovechkin play for the Capitals is no surprise, as the two future Hall of Famers and DC sports legends formed a bond after they helped deliver back-to-back championships to the area in 2018 and 2019. Scherzer and fellow Nats legend Ryan Zimmerman notably got decked out in Caps gear to help pump up the Capital One Arena crowd before Game 4 of the 2018 Stanley Cup Final.
During the Nationals’ run to the 2019 World Series, Ovechkin returned the favor by throwing out the first pitch before Game 4 of the NLDS.
Scherzer won another title with the Texas Rangers in 2023 and made it back to the World Series with the Blue Jays in a losing effort last season. Toronto brought the fiery competitor back on a one-year, $3 million contract this past March.
