"Alex Ovechkin hasn't always been on the best of terms with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but both the team and its fans took time on Thursday night to recognize his historic career. After Ovechkin became the first player in NHL history to join the 900-goal club on Wednesday night, several Penguins players made a point to congratulate him on the achievement when he came to Pittsburgh, with Evgeni Malkin even stopping by the Capitals' locker room postgame for a jersey swap. Malkin later posted a photo of the swap, captioned simply "900.""
"Ovechkin has collected a slew of memorabilia, both from his own achievement and from opponents he's faced over the years. His future planned museum in Russia already includes the puck and stick he used to score goal no. 895, and Malkin's jersey will likely join the 900th-goal puck that Ovechkin recovered after an attempted theft from St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington. Sidney Crosby also dropped in to chat with Ovechkin after the milestone, per Washington Post reporter Bailey Johnson."
"Though they've spent decades as rivals, Ovechkin, Crosby, and Malkin have developed a closer relationship in the twilight of their careers. Crosby and Malkin previously gifted Ovechkin with a custom Rolex after he broke the all-time NHL goal record this spring, a moment Ovechkin highlighted in a recent interview with ESPN's Emily Kaplan. "We have a battle through all those years and we have a very good relationship," Ovechkin said. "And that, it shows the respect, and I respect Sid and Geno as players, and obviously as (people). So yeah, it was a pretty cool moment." That respect goes both ways, with Crosby praising Ovechkin shortly before he reached 900 goals. "To be that consistent and that productive is pretty hard to even fathom," Crosby said on Wednesday. "So I think, yeah, it's a credit to him and just his consistency and his ability to find ways to score goals.""
Alex Ovechkin became the first player in NHL history to reach 900 goals. Penguins players and fans acknowledged the milestone during his visit to Pittsburgh, and Evgeni Malkin stopped by the Capitals' locker room for a jersey swap. Malkin posted a photo captioned "900." Ovechkin has amassed memorabilia from the milestone and opponents, including the puck and stick from goal 895 and a recovered 900th-goal puck. Sidney Crosby visited after the milestone, and Crosby and Malkin previously gifted Ovechkin a custom Rolex. Both peers praised Ovechkin's consistency, productivity, and mutual respect among rivals.
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