Wayne Gretzky & 'tough cookie' Alex Ovechkin mentioned by Donald Trump during press conference with Canadian PM

Alex Ovechkin is preparing for Game 1 of the Washington Capitals' second-round series with the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night.

Ovechkin, 39, has had a remarkable year, scoring 44 goals in 65 games and breaking Wayne Gretzky's goal-scoring record. He now hopes to cap it all off with his second Stanley Cup championship in a few months' time.

However, before the start of the second round, Ovechkin was given an unexpected shoutout from the President of the United States, Donald Trump. Trump mentioned both Alex Ovechkin and Wayne Gretzky when speaking to the Canadian Prime Minister at the White House.

Trump was asked a question about making concessions with Canada and went on to bring up Ovechkin in response.

"I love Canada. I have a lot of respect for the Canadians. Wayne Gretzky, the Great One... You happen to have a very, very good hockey player right here on the Capitals; he is a big, tough cookie too, just broke the record," Trump said.

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It's important to note that Ovechkin is from Moscow, Russia, not Canada. Gretzky, on the other hand, is Canadian, hailing from Brantford, Ontario.

Alex Ovechkin has been watching other series while waiting to start Round 2

Just like all hockey fans, Alex Ovechkin tuned into the wild Game 7s in the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

He and the Capitals have been off for almost a week since their series-clinching Game 5 win over Montreal. On Monday, he shared his thoughts on the frenetic playoff action.

"Yeah, I watched yesterday, Winnipeg. Crazy. Crazy, yeah. This is the playoffs. One mistake can cost you everything," Ovechkin said.

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Ovi had a great first-round series, racking up five points (four goals, one assist) and helping the Caps knock off the Montreal Canadiens in five games. He's itching to get back into the action for a divisional matchup in Round 2.

Ovechkin and the Capitals host the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of their second-round series on Tuesday night in Washington. The puck drops at 7 p.m. EST at Capital One Arena.

About the author

Jackson Weber is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with a Bcomm degree in Business and Sport Management from the University of Guelph.

Jackson has grown up as a lifelong Pittsburgh Penguins fan. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are his all-time favorite players. Watching the Penguins win the Stanley Cup three times is an experience that Jackson will never forget. Years later, you realize how rare it is to see your favorite team win even once, so three championships were just incredible.

When not watching, playing, or writing about sports, Jackson loves to cook and is passionate about health and nutrition.

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Edited by Jackson Weber