"Alex Ovechkin is the greatest goal scorer in NHL history and one of the league's all-time greatest players. The 40-year-old legendary winger would seemingly have every reason to become aloof and withdrawn from his teammates, but he has done the complete opposite and continued to foster a winning environment with the Washington Capitals. Bruce Boudreau, who coached a much younger Ovechkin for parts of five seasons with the Capitals (2007-2012), has seen firsthand the impact The Great 8 has had on the club's culture."
""He's created an atmosphere in that room that is second to none, where they all play for the team," Boudreau said. "Sometimes you see superstars, that, when they do something great, that the team just says, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah.' But everybody on the Washington Capitals genuinely loves when good things happen to Alex, because he responds in kind and supports them.""
"Ovechkin is famous for his big celebrations after scoring goals, and sometimes those celebrations get even bigger when he isn't even the one putting the puck in the net for the Capitals. The "big man," as his teammates affectionately call him, gets just as excited for Brandon Duhaime scoring his 33rd career goal as he does scoring the 911th of his storied career."
Alex Ovechkin maintains elite goal-scoring while acting as an energetic, relatable leader who builds a team-first locker-room culture. Coaches and teammates note his consistent enthusiasm and charisma across decades, and his celebrations extend to teammates' successes as well as his own. His receptiveness and support encourage a collective environment where players genuinely celebrate one another. The 40-year-old has played 21 seasons and continues to energize the club. Over 20 completed NHL seasons with Washington, the team missed the playoffs only four times, reflecting sustained competitive consistency during his tenure.
Read at RMNB
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