Alex Ovechkin Responds to Capitals Rookie After Monstrous Hit in Debut

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Alex Ovechkin Responds to Capitals Rookie After Monstrous Hit in Debut

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sean Treppedi | Last updated Apr 2, 2025 12:19 PM ET

The Washington Capitals are a traveling act of headlines as of late.

On one hand, Alex Ovechkin is four goals away from becoming the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer, tallying his 891st in Washington's 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday.

On the other, one of the game's most highly touted prospects in Ryan Leonard signed his entry-level contract on Monday and slid right into the lineup for his debut.

The two were spotted together having drinks at a bar in Boston on Monday night. On Tuesday, Leonard shared the same camaraderie on the ice.

Leonard lined up Bruins forward Jimmy Viel and leveled him to the ice in the neutral zone before skating right to the bench. Ovechkin was awaiting on the bench to give Leonard a fish bump with a look of approval on his face.

The Boston College Hobey Baker Award finalist finished his NHL debut with 14:14 in ice time and a plus-1 rating. He skated alongside Aliaksei Protas and Dylan Strome, who scored in the victory.

“I can’t really explain it, honestly,” Leonard said to reporters following the game. “If you told me this a couple years ago, it just wouldn’t be real… it’s just really cool. I’m just trying to embrace the moment.”

Ryan Leonard is hitting like this in his NHL debut

Ovechkin approved pic.twitter.com/fggWMZrjaE
— ESPN (@espn) April 2, 2025

Leonard was just a few days removed from his college career coming to a dramatic close by losing to Denver in the NCAA Tournament. A group of his Boston College teammates were present in the stands at TD Garden to support Leonard on Tuesday.

“First lap I looked to my right and there's a couple of my teammates on the glass,” Leonard said. “They all told me it was going to happen and they were going to be there but it didn't really sink in until that first lap."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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