Story Summary
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin set aside the familiar edge of the Penguins-Capitals rivalry to salute Alex Ovechkin after the Washington captain announced that his 22nd NHL season will be his final one.
Crosby, 39, and Malkin, 40, have spent two decades competing against Ovechkin, 41, in one of the NHL’s defining rivalries. Both Pittsburgh forwards spoke warmly of a player whose record 929 goals and enduring influence have made him a central figure of their era.
Crosby said Ovechkin’s decision should allow him to enjoy the season without having to repeatedly address the subject. Malkin called Ovechkin a legend who “did everything for a team, a league”, while wishing him health and the chance to enjoy his final campaign.
The first of the Penguins’ four scheduled meetings with Washington this season is set for Wednesday at Capital One Arena. It will add another chapter to a rivalry shaped by four Stanley Cup Playoff series, all won by the eventual Stanley Cup champion.
Key Facts
- Alex Ovechkin, 41, has announced that his 22nd NHL season will be his final one.
- Ovechkin has scored 929 goals, the most in NHL history, and has 1,688 points.
- Sidney Crosby has 1,763 points, including 654 goals and 1,109 assists, while Evgeni Malkin has 1,411 points, including 535 goals and 876 assists.
- Ovechkin has 44 goals in 83 games against the Penguins.
- Crosby was selected first overall by Pittsburgh in the 2005 NHL Draft; Ovechkin went first overall to Washington in 2004, and Malkin was selected second overall by Pittsburgh in the same draft.
- Ovechkin won the Calder Trophy after recording 106 points in 81 games in 2005-06; Crosby had 102 points in 81 games that season and Malkin won the Calder with 85 points in 78 games in 2006-07.
- The Capitals and Penguins have met four times in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with Ovechkin, Crosby and Malkin involved. Pittsburgh won in 2009, 2016 and 2017, while Washington won in 2018; the winner claimed the Stanley Cup on each occasion.
- Ovechkin, Crosby and Malkin have combined for six Hart Trophies, five Art Ross Trophies, 11 Rocket Richard Trophies, seven Ted Lindsay Awards and four Conn Smythe Trophies.
- The Penguins and Capitals are scheduled to meet four times this season: Wednesday in Washington, then Jan. 18 and March 13 in Pittsburgh, and April 4 in Washington.
IHM Discussion
The significance of Ovechkin’s final-season announcement is sharpened by who is reacting to it. Crosby and Malkin are not merely contemporaries offering routine praise; they have been the other side of a division rivalry that repeatedly carried championship consequences.
Crosby and Ovechkin entered the NHL’s spotlight as teenage No. 1 picks in successive drafts, then debuted in the same 2005-06 season. Malkin joined the league the following year. Their individual achievements are immense, but their careers have also remained intertwined through regular divisional meetings, direct playoff confrontations and constant comparison.
That history helps explain why the respect carries weight. Crosby described a relationship that developed over time despite the competitive tension and playoff history. Malkin’s remarks reflected a similarly personal perspective, recalling the draft and the years in which the three forwards established themselves as defining stars of their generation.
Ovechkin’s 929 goals distinguish his legacy from every other scorer in League history. Yet the reaction from Pittsburgh also speaks to longevity: three elite forwards have remained prominent for long enough that their rivalry now contains friendship, shared experience and an appreciation of what sustained NHL excellence demands.
Why It Matters
Ovechkin’s announcement turns every remaining Capitals-Penguins meeting into a notable occasion, without diminishing the competitive stakes between Metropolitan Division rivals.
The rivalry has always had unusual substance. The clubs met in four playoff series involving Ovechkin, Crosby and Malkin, and every one of those series produced the eventual Stanley Cup winner. Those matchups gave the individual comparisons a team context that many great-player debates never possess.
For the NHL, Ovechkin’s final season also closes a major chapter in an era led by three decorated forwards. Their collective award record spans scoring, individual excellence, playoff value and League MVP honours. The next meetings offer an opportunity to recognise that shared history while the rivalry is still active.
Mini Q&A
What did Alex Ovechkin announce?
Ovechkin announced that his 22nd NHL season will be his final one.
How many goals has Ovechkin scored in the NHL?
He has scored 929 goals, the most in NHL history.
When will the Penguins next face the Capitals?
The teams are scheduled to meet Wednesday at Capital One Arena.
How often have the Capitals and Penguins met in the playoffs during the Ovechkin-Crosby-Malkin era?
They have met four times, with the winner going on to lift the Stanley Cup in every series.
Coach Mark Comment
The enduring feature of this rivalry is not simply the volume of elite talent, but how often that talent met when the pressure rose. Four playoff series between these groups, each followed by a Stanley Cup for the winner, gave every regular-season encounter a deeper competitive memory. Ovechkin’s final season does not change the task for either side: execute, manage emotion and compete through the details that have defined this matchup for years.
What Comes Next
Pittsburgh and Washington are scheduled to play Wednesday at Capital One Arena. Their remaining scheduled meetings this season are Jan. 18 and March 13 in Pittsburgh, followed by April 4 in Washington.
IHM Final View
Crosby and Malkin’s response captures the full arc of Ovechkin’s career. A rivalry that began with hype around young superstars became one of the NHL’s most consequential, and ultimately one marked by mutual respect. Ovechkin’s final season will bring attention to his unmatched goal-scoring record, but the Penguins’ tributes underline the wider legacy: a competitor who helped define an era, a division and some of the League’s most memorable playoff battles.