Capitals' Make-A-Wish guest enjoys day with Ovechkin, team

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Nate Wessel walked into the locker room to begin his Make-A-Wish experience with Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Wednesday and was immediately taken aback.

"It was really crazy to see everyone," Wessel said. "It was quite intimidating, though. They're really large and huge. It was cool, though."
Wessel, a 14-year-old hockey player from Glenwood, Maryland, was born with a heart condition that required three open-heart surgeries, including the first when he was 10 days old. He became a Capitals fan watching them win the Stanley Cup in 2018. Ovechkin, the Capitals captain, is his favorite player.
"I wanted to start to play hockey after that," Wessel said. "Then, I forgot I could do a wish and the Washington Capitals were pretty awesome to be the team that started my hockey journey."
Wessel was originally scheduled to get his wish on March 13, 2020, but it was postponed when the NHL paused the 2019-20 season on March 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Wessel said the delay was "worth the wait, definitely."
Wessel started playing ice hockey two years ago and showed Wednesday that he is a quick learner. After the Capitals' practice, Wessel joined them on the ice to get some tips from Ovechkin on taking one-timers from the forward's "office" in the left circle using one of Ovechkin's sticks. Wessel missed the net on his first two tries before scoring against goalie Charlie Lindgren.

"He was doing great," said Ovechkin, who is second in NHL history with 816 goals. "It was a couple missed shots, but he probably was not warmed up. By the end, he hit it pretty hard."
Wessel, who plays on the JV team at Glenelg (Maryland) High School and the Howard Huskies rec team, began his day by being signed to a one-year contract by Capitals president Dick Patrick and assistant general manager Don Fishman. His wish will continue Thursday when he receives a VIP tour of Capital One Arena and will be an honorary member of the Capitals starting lineup and stand next to Ovechkin on the blue line for the national anthem prior to their game against the New Jersey Devils (7 p.m. ET; NBCSWA, MSGSN2, ESPN+, SN NOW).
"The fact that Nate is playing hockey is amazing," Nate's mother Megan Wessel said. "The fact that he is getting to meet the Washington Capitals and to meet the great Alexander Ovechkin, this is really a dream come true not just for him but for us as well."