Capitals’ Ovechkin wins Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award

Ovechkin used to be named because the winner of the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award on Friday, the league introduced.

The award is gifted to the participant “who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice, and who plays a leading role in his community growing the game of hockey.”

In his 20th NHL season, Ovechkin made NHL historical past this season when he handed Wayne Gretzky for many profession regular-season objectives along with his 895th on April 6.

As a part of his chase for Gretzky’s report, Ovechkin, the Capitals, Hockey Fights Cancer and The V Foundation For Cancer Research partnered on “THE GR8 CHASE for Victory Over Cancer,” an initiative to lift consciousness and price range for pediatric most cancers analysis. Ovechkin, beginning along with his 885th profession purpose, is donating cash for each purpose he rankings all the way through the rest of his NHL profession, with Monumental Sports & Entertainment matching his contributions.

Ovechkin, who turns 40 in September, has one season left on his five-year, $47.5 million contract he signed in 2021. He stated he has no plans to retire at this level.

“I’m going to use those couple months (in the off-season) to rest, enjoy my life, then back to work,” Ovechkin stated closing week. “Me and (instructor Pavel Burlachenko are) going do our task to get in a position for the season and do exactly my perfect.”

Ovechkin led the Capitals with 5 objectives in 10 video games this post-season, however had only one purpose in the second one spherical towards the Carolina Hurricanes as he and the group fell in need of the Eastern Conference Final for the 15th time in 16 appearances all the way through his profession. The different time used to be their Stanley Cup run in 2018, when Ovechkin gained the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

Going into subsequent season, Ovechkin desires to paintings towards chasing a 2d championship.

“I’m looking forward for next year,” Ovechkin said. “I’m going to try to do my best to play and my team is going to help me, too. … I just want to come back next year and see the team who’s capable of winning the Stanley Cup.”

Beyond that, he’s now not certain what the long run holds when his contract involves an finish.

“I haven’t thought about it yet, but we’ll see what’s going to happen,” Ovechkin said. “I’m going to try to do my best to be able to do well next year, and we’ll see.”

— With information from the Associated Press