TAMPA — Before he took the ice for the hardest shot competition, Alex Ovechkin told former teammate Mike Green that he hoped to top 90 miles per hour.
The NHL’s perennial hardest shot winners — Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara and Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber — were not selected as all-stars this year, clearing Ovechkin’s path to a $25,000 prize. Ovechkin will now lead the Metro Division into the All-Star Game, a three-on-three tournament, Sunday afternoon. The 32-year-old currently leads the NHL with 30 goals and notched his 500th career assist in a win over the Florida Panthers on Thursday. Add this achievement to a rather impressive week.
“Of course it’s special to get that kind of win,” Ovechkin said. “Because obviously, Chara is not here, Weber is not here, and you put those guys (in the competition) you probably don’t even try.”
The next hardest shot came from Subban, who registered one at 98.7 on his second attempt. Ovechkin reached 98.8 on his first attempt, meaning he already had a slight advantage before lining up for his final strike. He wanted to see if he could break 100.
“Yeah, why not?” Ovechkin said before pausing and breaking into a big smile. “And I did. I was pretty happy.”
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