Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin and Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury have been on-ice nemeses for 20 seasons.
The 40-year-old netminder announced the 2024-25 season would be his last in the NHL when he signed a one-year extension with Minnesota this past offseason.
On Thursday, Ovechkin and Fleury met for the last time but the latter did not touch the ice due to Minnesota’s goaltending schedule. Filip Gustavsson got the start in the 4-2 win over Washington.
But that didn’t stop The Great Eight from showing his longtime rival the respect he deserves. Ovechkin and his Washington teammates stayed on the ice to shake Fleury’s hand, similar to how teams would do at the conclusion of a playoff series.
