“Unbelievable Twist: How Alexander Ovechkin’s Miracle Goal Defied All Odds and Captivated Fans Worldwide”
But Ovechkin and fellow incoming rookie Sidney Crosby of Pittsburgh rode a new wave of interest and hope into the season. Selected first overall by the Caps in the 2004 draft, Ovechkin opted to keep playing pro hockey in Russia during the lockout. That only bolstered the secondhand hype for Ovechkin, since few Americans had actually laid eyes on him. What they knew was that he was something talented, something new, and for the first post-lockout season, that was enough.
“I don’t think people really knew who he was, whereas Crosby, you knew who he was from the time he was 13,” recalls Jeff Halpern, then the Washington Capitals’ captain. “There was a huge buzz of Crosby coming in, and Ovi was this really good player from Russia, and that was about it.”
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