Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports
Alex Ovechkin: Luke Skywalker
The primary protagoinst of Episodes IV, V, and VI is Luke Skywalker. He’s perhaps the most famous of all of the Star Wars characters. He’s the savior of the Rebel Alliance and the Jedi. The leader of the Washington Capitals is Alex Ovechkin. He’s the primary protagonist of the Capitals as well. The two share quite a bit in common.
Luke Skywalker served as an apprentice under Kenobi before realizing his true powers. Ovechkin went a slightly different path. He didn’t really have a Kenobi figure with the Capitals until 2009 when the Capitals traded for his childhood idol and current mentor Sergei Fedorov. Washington Capitals fans saw Fedorov teach Ovechkin many things about what it means to be more than just an elite player, but how to be a leader as well. Ovechkin has clearly learned from Fedorov and has become both an elite leader and an elite player.
Luke Skywalker was a member of The Republic and battled against Darth Vader and The Empire. Ovechkin is a member of the Capitals and battles against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The battles between the Washington Capitals and the Penguins are comparable to the epic battles that The Empire and The Republic had and the constant good versus evil battles throughout all the Star Wars movies. We’ll have to see if Sidney Crosby is Alex Ovechkin’s father.