Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin made NHL history Wednesday night when he took home his second straight and eighth Rocket Richard Trophy at the NHL awards.
The Rocket Richard Trophy, which was donated by the Montreal Canadiens in 1999, is awarded to the leading scorer in the NHL. The award is named after Maurice “Rocket” Richard, the first player in the NHL to score 50 goals in one season.
The 33-year-old Ovechkin is the first player in NHL history to win the award eight times. This past season, Ovechkin scored 51 goals and has scored 658 in his 14 years with the Capitals.
“It continues to amaze me that he keeps playing at that high of a level,” Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said.
The Russian native was drafted by the Capitals back in 2005. A 20-year-old Ovechkin scored two goals in his first ever NHL game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He earned his first Rocket Richard trophy three years later. And he won it again the next year.
Even though Ovechkin’s getting older, MacLellan isn’t worried.
“I expect him to fully compete at that level next year and going forward,” MacLellan said. “He shows no signs of slowing down.”
• Rina Torchinsky can be reached at rtorchinsky@washingtontimes.com.
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