On June 7th, 2018 Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin earned his place amongst the greatest to ever play the game by winning the NHL Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe trophy.
Yes, Alex Ovechkin was already an NHL legend. He was already a top 100 player. But he didn’t have that one thing that truly defines a players greatest; he didn’t win the NHL Stanley Cup.
For 13 years it’s eluded him. Through 607 goals and 1122 career NHL points in 1003 NHL regular season games. Through seven Rocket Richard trophies as the league’s top scorer and three other NHL MVP awards. The Stanley Cup eluded Ovechkin.
It’s the one thing that stands in the way of a players greatness. We never talk about Marcel Dionne and his remarkable 1771 NHL points because he never won a cup. He’s a truly great player but he’s never won a cup.
Whether that’s a fair indictment of a players career or not doesn’t matter. That’s the reality of the situation. Without a cup, were you truly a legend?
By winning the Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe trophy Alex Ovechkin did just that. He’s now become the legend he already was.
