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Alex Ovechkin: Four Seasons, Countless Highlights

A look through two-time NHL MVP Alex Ovechkin's four exhilarating seasons as a Washington Capital.

June 26, 2004

Ovechkin poses with Capitals scouting director Ross Mahoney, owner Ted Leonsis, and GM George McPhee after being picked first overall in the NHL Draft. "This is my fifth draft, and I haven't seen any consensus around the number one pick in those five years as I saw with this pick," Leonsis said after the pick. "Time will tell whether this was the right decision, but right now it feels pretty good."

Ellen Ozier-Reuters

Jan. 16, 2006

After being dragged down to the ice by Coyotes defenseman Paul Mara, Ovechkin slides on his back toward the net, reaches out over his head and whips the puck past unsuspecting goaltender Brian Boucher, scoring what is now referred to by many simply as: "The Goal." "That was pretty nice," Phoenix Coach and hockey legend Wayne Gretzky said following the game. "He's a phenomenal player. He's that good."

Paul Connors-AP

Oct. 14, 2006

Ovechkin receives the Calder Trophy, awarded to the NHL's top rookie, from General Manager George McPhee before a game against the Atlanta Thrashers at Verizon Center.

Mitchell Layton-Getty Images

Ovechkin joins team majority owner Ted Leonsis during a news conference to announce that the Capitals signed Ovechkin to a 13-year, $124 million extension, making him the first NHL player to sign a nine-figure contract. "If you're going to make a long-term investment, who else would you do it with?" Leonsis said.

Nick Wass-AP

April 5, 2008

Ovechkin jumps into the arms of fellow Russian Alexander Semin, who scored to put the Capitals in the playoffs for the first time in five years. They had started the season 6-14-1, but finished strong after Coach Glen Hanlon was fired and replaced with Bruce Boudreau on Thanksgiving Day.

John McDonnell-The Washington Post

April 15, 2008

Alex Ovechkin has the puck stolen from him by the Flyers' Jim Dowd during a Game 3 loss to Philadelphia.

John McDonnell-The Washington Post

April 21, 2008

Ovechkin jumps into the bench after scoring the game-winning goal in the third period to keep the Capitals alive against the Flyers, forcing a Game 7. "Nobody believe in us, that we're a done team," said Ovechkin, who led the NHL in goals and points in the regular season but had been limited to a goal and four assists in the series' first five games until breaking out with his team's season on the line. "But it's not over."

John Mcdonnell-The Washington Post

Ovechkin scored the tie-breaking and winning goal against Flyers goalie Martin Biron to force Game 7 in their first-round series. "I've said before that the guys who are stars, everything seems to happen around them," Coach Bruce Boudreau said of Ovechkin. "Whether it's John Elway on the drive or a great baseball player coming up to bat in the last inning, that's Alex."

John Mcdonnell-The Washington Post

April 22, 2008

Ovechkin and the Flyers' Mike Richards collide in the second period of Game 7. The Caps lost in overtime, 3-2. "We're disappointed," said Ovechkin after the loss. "We didn't use our chances. We have lots of chances, but we don't put it in the net. In overtime, it's about luck. Today we don't have luck."

John Mcdonnell-The Washington Post

June 12, 2008

Ovechkin poses with the Hart Memorial Trophy, the Lester B. Pearson Award, the Art Ross Trophy and the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy during the NHL Awards in Toronto. He is the first player to win all four in a season. "I wanted to win everything," Ovechkin said in his acceptance speech. "Maybe next year the Stanley Cup."

Al Bello-Getty Images

Jan. 24, 2009

Dressed for the occasion, Alex Ovechkin competes in the breakaway challenge during NHL All-Star weekend in Montreal.

Dave Sandford-Getty Images

Feb. 5, 2009

Ovechkin celebrates his 200th goal with teammates Alexander Semin and Mike Green. The Capitals lost the game to the Kings, 5-4.

John McDonnell-The Washington Post

March 19, 2009

Ovechkin shoots past Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Lukas Krajicek to score his 50th goal of the season. With the goal, Ovechkin became the first Capital to score 50 goals three times and joined Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy as the only players to accomplish the feat in their first four NHL seasons.

Mike Carlson-AP

March 19, 2009

Ovechkin's 50th-goal celebration, which involved dropping his stick near the net and then pretending it was too hot to pick up, drew a flurry of media attention and prompted Boudreau to have a chat with his star player. "Bruce asked me what I mean [by] this," Ovechkin said. "I just have fun. He said people might think I don't respect different team. But I respect everybody. I don't want to show bad things. I show my thing. It was not disrespect."

Mike Carlson-AP

May 4, 2009

Ovechkin surveys the ice after scoring a hat trick in Game 2 of the Capitals' second-round playoff series against the Penguins, drawing chants of "M-V-P!" from the crowd at Verizon Center.

Ricky Carioti-The Washington Post

May 4, 2009

Ovechkin makes a diving attempt at a goal past the Penguins' Jordan Staal in a 4-3 Game 2 win against the Penguins. He and Pittsburgh rival Sidney Crosby both scored hat tricks in the thriller. "It's good for the fans to see great players play against each other and two great teams play against each other," said Ovechkin. "It's unbelievable when we play against great players and you win the game like this. If I was a Capitals fan, I'd be really happy right now."

Ricky Carioti-The Washington Post

June 18, 2009

Ovechkin poses with the Lester B. Pearson Award, the Hart Trophy and the Maurice Richard Trophy following the NHL Awards in Las Vegas. "It's pretty important when people and players give you this [recognition]. I don't want to stop," Ovechkin said. "I want to be the best again next year."

Harry How

Gallery Credits:
Photo Editor, Producer Sam Funt Text Editor Lindsay Applebaum

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This Story Is This the Year for the Caps? Article \| For the past four seasons, the world's best hockey player has performed in Washington. As a member of the Capitals, Alex Ovechkin has won a scoring title, led the National Hockey League in goals twice and been named MVP two years in a row. A Fabulous First Four Years Caps Mania Doesn't Faze Boudreau Ovechkin's Top 3 Goals Caps On Offseason Competition Alex Ovechkin: Four Seasons, Countless Highlights		TOOLBOX E-Mail This Save/Share + Digg Facebook Reddit Twitter myspace del.icio.us NewsTrust Stumble It! COMMENT 0 Comments Your browser's settings may be preventing you from commenting on and viewing comments about this item. See instructions for fixing the problem. Discussion Policy CLOSE Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post. Who's Blogging » Links to this gallery		More on washingtonpost.com • More Photo News » washingtonpost.com
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