Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is the 2024-25 winner fo the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award which is presented "to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities on his team, on and off the ice, during the regular season and who plays a leading role in his community growing the game of hockey."
While Messier does sollicit suggestions from team and League personnel to compile a list of potential candidates for this award, the selection of the winner is Messier's alone.
Ovechkin played is 20th NHL season and 16th as Washington's captain which is tied for the third longest in League history. He completed "THE GR8 CHASE" on April 6 to surpass Wayne Gretzky for the most goals in NHL history.
This was a record that "The Great One" held for more than 31 years. Ovechkin finished the campaign with 897 goals, three more than Gretzky totaled during his legendary career.
It propeled the Capitals to the number two overall record in the League at 51-22-9 with 111 points. It also put them a the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2016-17.
The 39 year old Ovechkin, despite fracturing his fibula and missing nearly six weeks, shard third place in the NHL with 44 goals in 2024-25 alone in 65 games played.
Only one other player in League history has scored as many goals in a season at age 39 or older: Gordie Howe, who registered 44 at age 40 in 1968-69 in 76 games played with the Detroit Red Wings.
Ovechkin's record setting season additionally saw him surpass Jaromir Jagr for the most game winning goals in NHL history, extend his own marks for career 40 goal seasons, 30 goal seasons, power play goals and overtime goals.
He also tied Phil Esposito for the fifth most hat tricks in League history and moved into 11th place in NHL history for career points.
The number one overall pick from the 2004 NHL Draft also continued to build his legacy off the ice. Since the Ovechkin rookie season of 2005-06, there has been significant youth hockey growth in the Potomac Valley (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Hockey is offered to children year round in local arenas, ball hockey rinks, and schools.
In the past 20 years, hockey players in this regiion have increased by 71 percent which totals more than 20,000 while youth hockey players (18 and under) have increased by 43 percent, surpassing 12,000.
More than 9,000 players have also been introduced to hockey since the Capitals launched their Future Caps "Learn to Play" program in 2016 supported by the NHL/NHLPA Industry Growth Fund.
14 outdoor inline/ball hockey rinks also have been built, or refurbished, by the Capitals in the past two decades in response to increased demand for access to youth hockey.
Ovechkin also launched "The Gr8 Chase for Victory Over Cancer" as part of his quest to become the League's all time goals leader. Partnered with the Capitals and Hockey Fights Cancer as well as The V Foundation For Cancer Research, it was an initiative to raise awarness and funds for pediatric cancer research.
Beginning with his 885th career goal, Ovechkin is and continues to donate money for every goal he scores during the remainder of his NHL career with Monumental Sports and Entertainment matching his contributions.
Ovechkin's philanthropic efforts also have included a longstanding relationship with the American Special Hockey Association of ASHA as Ovechkin hosted multiple skating sessions as well as a stret hockey event since 2014.
Ovechkin additionally launced "Ovi's 8s" in 2006 to provide underserved children with tickets to Capitals games, a prgram that has given more than 6,000 individuals the chance to see the team free of charge.
The Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award adds to a trophy case for Ovechkin that also includes nine Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophies (most recently 2019-20), three Hart Memorial Trophies (2007-08, 2008-09, 2012-13), three Ted Lindsay Awards (2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10), the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2005-06, the Art Ross Trophy in 2007-08, the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2017-18 and the Stanley Cup 2017-18.