ARLINGTON, VA – The Washington Capitals announced today several initiatives across the Washington, D.C., region in honor of Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin becoming the NHL’s All-Time goals leader.
Initiatives include a special GR895 practice on Wednesday, pre-game ceremony on Thursday and the GR8 City Celebration featuring Ovechkin in attendance at Union Station on Friday. There are also several additional ways fans can celebrate the milestone.
Ovechkin scored his record-breaking 895th career goal against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena. Ovechkin broke Gretzky’s 31-year-old record in his 1,487th career game, the exact number of games Gretzky finished his career with. Ovechkin holds many other records, including for the most power-play goals, most game-winning goals, most 40-goal seasons, most goals in road games and most goals with the same team in NHL history. Ovechkin is the only player in NHL history to win a Stanley Cup, a Conn Smythe, a Calder, an Art Ross, a Hart, a Ted Lindsay and a Maurice Richard Trophy.
The 39-year-old Ovechkin has scored 42 goals in 61 games this season (0.69 G/GP) and 20 goals in his last 27 games. Only Leon Draisaitl (52 goals, age 29), William Nylander (44 goals, age 28) and Tage Thompson (43 goals, age 27) have more. Ovechkin, who entered the season 42 goals shy of passing Gretzky, is on pace to finish with 45 goals. Should he reach the 45-goal mark, he would pass Gordie Howe (44g in 1968-69 at age 40) for the most goals in a season by a player age 39 or older.
GR895 Kids Day Practice | Wednesday, April 9 | 10:30 a.m. | MedStar Capitals Iceplex
The Capitals will host a GR895 Kids Day Practice on Wednesday, April 9, welcoming 895 students from Arlington Public Schools to MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va., for the Capitals practice in celebration of Ovechkin’s milestone. Fourth and fifth grade students from five Arlington schools will attend the practice.
Gr8ness Pre-game Ceremony | Thursday, April 10 | 7:30 p.m. | Capital One Arena
Gr8ness Pre-game Ceremony: The Washington Capitals will hold a Gr8ness pre-game ceremony on Thursday, April 10 against the Carolina Hurricanes to honor Ovechkin for making history and passing Wayne Gretzky for the most goals in NHL history. Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, chairman Dick Patrick and president of hockey operations Brian MacLellan will join Ovechkin’s wife Nastya, kids Sergei and Ilya, mom Tatyana and father-in-law Kirill on the ice to honor Ovechkin. During the ceremony, Ovechkin will receive a special gift from the Leonsis family, the organization, and his teammates.
Capitals Monumental Sports Network play by play voice Joe Beninati will serve as the master of ceremonies.
Giveaway: All fans in attendance will receive a rally towel presented by Venture Global, featuring the iconic image of Ovechkin sliding across the ice as he celebrates goal number 895.
The Gr8 King Throne: The Gr8 Chase Throne at section 114/115 is now called The Gr8 King throne. The scenery behind the Gr8 Chase Throne has also been updated with a special ‘KING’ backdrop in honor of Ovechkin ascending to the top of the NHL’s goal scoring ledger.
The Ovi Shop: Fans are invited to a special Ovi Shop at Capital One Arena that will be open during remaining Capitals home games. The shop opens in conjunction with doors opening to the arena pre-game. The shop will also be open from 11 a.m. through 5 p.m. from Wednesday, April 8 through Saturday, April 12. Located on 7th Street, the shop features a full collection of merchandise related to Ovechkin, the Gr8 Chase and his newfound status as the NHL’s all-time goals leader.
The Team Store at Capital One Arena: Fans are also encouraged to visit the Team Store at Capital One Arena for additional Ovechkin merchandise. The Team Store at Capital One Arena is open from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. It also opens two hours prior to home games on Sundays and Mondays.
Monumental Sports Network Broadcast: Monumental Sports Network (MNMT) will offer fans comprehensive multiplatform content around Thursday’s ceremony, including an hour-long version of Capitals Pregame Live starting at 6:30 p.m. that will feature live ceremony coverage and a special edition of Capitals Postgame Live immediately following the game. Caps Rink Report will also stream on the state-of-the-art Monumental+ app at 12:00 p.m. ET on Thursday.
GR8 City Celebration | Friday, April 11 | 3-5 p.m. | Union Station
On Friday, April 11 from 3-5 p.m., the Capitals and Union Station will host the GR8 City Celebration, a fan event in the Union Station main hall in honor of Ovechkin. Ovechkin will be in attendance, as well as Nicklas Backstrom, TJ. Oshie and Capitals owner Ted Leonsis.
The indoor event is free and open to the general public and will feature photo opportunities, interactive stations, giveaways, alumni appearances and more. Highlights include Skee Ball, a GR8 Retail Pop Up Shop, an inflatable shooting cage, photo backdrops including the CAPITALS letters and more. The event will also feature giveaways including Ovi fat heads on a stick, coasters, buttons, GR8ness T-Shirts and more.
Union Station is the site of Ovi Gr8 congratulatory banners.
In addition to this week’s events, the Capitals also encourage fans to partake in several other initiatives in honor of Ovechkin.
GR8ness Alex Ovechkin O At Union Market District
In honor of Ovechkin becoming the NHL’s all-time goals leader, the letter ‘O’ in the Union Market sign at Washington, D.C.’s Union Market District has been transformed into a Gr8ness ‘O’ featuring Alex Ovechkin.
Capitals SkyRink at Union Market
Union Market District is also the location of the Capitals SkyRink at Hi-Lawn, a synthetic ice rink located on the rooftop at Union Market. The rink is open Wednesdays through Sundays from Friday, April 4 through Wednesday, April 30. Click here to purchase tickets. A portion of sales proceeds from the purchase of tickets benefit THE GR8 CHASE for Victory Over Cancer®.
Adult and kid passes for children ages 12 and under are available for purchase, and fans wearing Capitals gear will receive a special Capitals giveaway of yellow skate laces in honor of Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin.
Murals
“G.O.A.T” – Gr8est of All Time | Adams Morgan
A mural dedicated to Ovechkin entitled, “G.O.A.T” – Gr8est of All Time by Brandon Hill, will be unveiled in the Adams Morgan neighborhood in Washington, D.C. in March. The mural will be painted on the wall of Jubilee Housing’s primary headquarters building. Jubilee provides deeply affordable housing, with onsite and nearby services in resource-rich neighborhoods, also known as Justice Housing®. Hill’s “G.O.A.T.” embodies the athletic ethos: spirit, courage, optimism, promise, opportunity, grit and hard work. The piece also conveys how the “Gr8 Chase” represents a milestone that is built on the foundation of tens of thousands of practice shots and unwavering dedication, both on and off the ice. The artwork’s energy and direction capture the intensity of the occasion, infused with hometown pride. The color palette draws inspiration from the team’s past, present and future. The project celebrates the strong bond between the Capitals, D.C. sports, and the community, reflecting the shared spirit and pride that unites the fanbase.
Hill, a native of Baltimore, MD, lives and works in Washington, D.C., where his studio **ALL DAY PROJECTS**, is based. Hill draws inspiration from his fascination with materiality, history, and the urban landscape to shape his multidisciplinary art practice. Hill showcases his versatility through works ranging from paintings and portraits to stainless steel and fiberglass sculptures, as well as large-scale murals. He has exhibited at The Bishop Gallery, Richard Beavers Gallery, Ron David Studio, The Square, and has been creating public art for more than a decade.
Gr8ness Mural | Union Market District
Gr8ness, a mural in Ovechkin’s honor, will debut at Union Market District in late March. Designed by David Barr, the Gr8ness mural, located on the historic Market building, features a collage-like design that captures Ovechkin’s qualities and celebrate his most iconic moments on the ice throughout his Capitals career.
Barr’s paintings are built through layers – of media, imagery, and text – drawn from different eras. By blending these timeworn fragments of culture, he creates collage-like compositions that reimagine the familiar in unexpected ways. Originally from Pittsburgh, David studied art at Slippery Rock University. He has lived in the DC area since the ‘90s and currently paints at Studio 301 in the City of Falls Church.
Gr8 Chase Microsite Presented by Venture Global:
Click here to visit a Gr8 Chase microsite presented by Venture Global to follow along with all things The Gr8 Chase and Ovechkin’s completion of The Gr8 Chase to become to NHL’s all-time goals leader.
Gr8 Face Yourself Filter
In collaboration with TikTok, the Capitals present the exclusive Gr8 Face Yourself filter. This innovative, augmented reality face filter lets users don the Great 8’s appearance and signature smile, allowing fans to mirror Ovi’s iconic look and smile. Click here to use the filter.
#Gr8ness Hashflag
The hashtag #Gr8ness on X displays a custom Alex Ovechkin hashflag.
V FOUNDATION
Ovechkin is now the leading goal scorer in NHL history and while his journey to break the record is complete, THE GR8 CHASE for Victory Over Cancer® continues. The campaign will continue for the remainder of Ovechkin’s career, making every goal scored more impactful. To date, THE GR8 CHASE for Victory Over Cancer® has raised over $120,000 and counting.
100% of donations go directly to life-saving pediatric cancer research through the V Foundation for Cancer Research. The donations raised will fund a pediatric cancer research grant through the V Foundation’s Hockey Fights Cancer Fund in Ovechkin’s honor: the Alex Ovechkin GR8 Chase Pediatric Cancer Research Grant.
As part of the campaign, Ovechkin will personally donate an amount equal to his career goal total for every regular season goal he scores for the remainder of his NHL career. Ovechkin’s donations will be matched by Monumental Sports & Entertainment, meaning each goal scored will bring a donation that is double his career goal total at that time. Fans can support THE GR8 CHASE by donating $8, or any amount they can give at v.org/GR8chase.
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