Ovechkin, Caps shake Marc-Andre Fleury's hand in final meeting

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin and Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury shake hands after the game. Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Watch: Alex Ovechkin, Capitals shake Marc-Andre Fleury's hand in final meeting

By Austen Bundy | Last updated Mar 28, 2025 12:03 AM ET

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.

The respect these two have for each other

Alex Ovechkin and the @Capitals initiated a handshake line after the game and gave their respects to Marc-Andre Fleury pic.twitter.com/bj9yy0DNoK
— NHL (@NHL) March 28, 2025

“Obviously, he’s one of the best goalies to ever play,” Ovechkin said ahead of Thursday's game. “It’s kind of sad that he’s not playing tonight ... but, it was a pretty good battle out there between me and him.”

Ovechkin scored 28 goals in 47 games against Fleury. That's the most tallies he's scored and the most games he's played against a single goalie in his career.

“I feel lucky I got to play so many games against him,” Fleury said pregame. “Maybe not getting scored on so much by him but it was a good battle. It was good times. Fun. That’s what hockey’s all about. The competitiveness and how exciting it gets. He wants to win; we want to win."

The arch-rivals met four separate times in the playoffs. Fleury bested Ovechkin three times (2009, 2016, 2017) before he flipped the script in 2018. In all four instances, the winner went on to lift the Stanley Cup.

“It’s been a lot of fun. It’s been challenging but fun to play against him," Fleury said.

Austen Bundy

Austen Bundy is a journalist and sports junkie from the Washington, D. C. area

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