Ovechkin, Capitals Announce Community Initiatives in Honor of Milestones

ARLINGTON, Va. - The Washington Capitals and captain Alex Ovechkin announced today several community initiatives in honor of Ovechkin passing Gordie Howe for second on the NHL's all-time goals list. Ovechkin scored his 21st and 22nd goals of the season and the 802nd of his career Dec. 23 against the Winnipeg Jets at Capital One Arena, passing Howe (801) for second place on the NHL's all-time goals list. Ovechkin now only trails Wayne Gretzky (894) for the most goals in NHL history. On Dec. 13 against the Chicago Blackhawks, Ovechkin recorded his 29th career hat trick to become the third player in NHL history to reach the 800-goal mark.

To commemorate the milestone and celebrate with the community, the Capitals and Ovechkin have several events and initiatives planned, including:
American Special Hockey Association Donation
Ovechkin will make a donation to the American Special Hockey Association (ASHA) to help cover ice costs for 100 special hockey teams across the United States. The donation will support 5,000 athletes and 1,400 coaches from February through April. Each of those teams will have the opportunity to participate in festivals, tournaments and practices during this time span.
Ovechkin has a longstanding relationship with ASHA, having hosted multiple ASHA skating sessions as well as a street hockey event. Ovechkin has been an ASHA ambassador since the first skate in 2014, when he met 11-year-old Washington Ice Dogs player Ann Schaab and granted her request for a sushi date following a preseason game. Inspired by his relationship with Schaab, Ovechkin announced his plans to donate the car to ASHA during the National Hockey League's 2015 NHL All-Star Weekend. In addition, Ovechkin donates 'Ovi's 8's' tickets to ASHA athletes and their families. Since the 2014-15 season, the program has seen Ovechkin donate more than 2,500 season tickets to community members.
"The American Special Hockey Association is grateful for Alex's continued support of our programs," said Jen O'Brien, ASHA Executive Director. "Through this wonderful donation, Alex has made it possible for every hockey player, no matter their ability, to achieve their goals. On behalf of ASHA and all the kids and parents in our program, we would like to congratulate Alex on his recent milestone as we continue to celebrate his amazing accomplishments on the ice, and, more importantly, the impact he is making with kids off the ice."
ASHA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving those with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities through the sport of hockey.
Ovi 800 Celebration with ACPS Students
To celebrate the historic milestone, Ovechkin will host more than 800 children from Arlington Public Schools for a celebration at the Capitals Jan. 13 practice.
Fourth- through fifth-grade students from five Arlington schools will be in attendance at practice. All students will receive special Ovi 800 T-shirts from Ovechkin and the Capitals. Leading up to the visit, the classes will participate in 800-related number activities in their physical education and other classes, such as math and reading. On Jan. 13, they will attend the Capitals practice and take photographs with Ovechkin following the skate.
Local Rink Programming
The Capitals Youth Hockey Development team is working with select rinks throughout the Washington, D.C., region to install an "Ovi's Office" logo in the ice at the top of the left face-off circle in each zone for a limited time in 2023. The spot on the ice has become a favorite for local kids to practice their "Ovi shot" that Ovechkin has made famous. Later this season, Ovechkin will surprise youth players at select rinks with a visit before their on-ice sessions. More information on those activities will be announced at a later date.
The region has seen an overall growth in hockey participation of more than 200% since Ovechkin's arrival in 2005, termed "The Ovechkin Effect." The impact on the ice has seen USA Hockey registrations grow over 58% in that same time period (based on pre-pandemic registration data). Specifically, in Washington, D.C. alone, that number has increased more than 184%. The "Ovechkin Effect" has not only impacted the growth on-ice but also off-ice, with more than 750,000 students participating in the Capitals Hockey School program annually within market. Currently there are 40 indoor ice facilities with a total of 53 sheets of ice that are now accompanied by 14 outdoor street hockey facilities that the Capitals have invested in since 2015.
Wish Experiences
Ovechkin is slated to grant multiple wishes later this season through wish-granting organizations. To keep the wish experiences as a surprise to the involved children, additional details surrounding the wishes will be shared at a later date.