The Goalie Who Let Alex Ovechkin score His First NHL Goal
Years after retiring from the NHL,former goalie Pascal Leclaire can reminisce about one goal he allowed with a smile. It was the very first goal Alex Ovechkin scored in the NHL, a moment that forever etched Leclaire’s name in hockey history.
on October 5, 2005, Leclaire was the netminder for the Columbus Blue Jackets when Ovechkin, playing for the Washington Capitals, unleashed two goals in his NHL debut. In total, Ovechkin would score five goals against Leclaire throughout his illustrious career.
“I never thought I was going to end up in history talks, but it does give me a good story now and then,” Leclaire told NHL.com. “A lot of people don’t actually believe it.”
While the memory may be a source of good-natured humor for Leclaire, the first goal Ovechkin scored against him left a lasting impression. Leclaire recalled being surprised by the sheer force behind Ovechkin’s shot, even compared to other star young players like Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Kane.
Today, Leclaire is retired and works as a hockey analyst for TVA Sports. He is one of many goalies, 180 to be exact, who have allowed Ovechkin to score. The Capitals captain is closing in on Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goal-scoring record.
“I think it’s great for the game that we have something like that happening in front of our eyes,” Leclaire said. ”I’d like to have a jersey from him signed just as a souvenir because I was part of it. To me, it’s a good story.”
ovechkin has a reputation for being generous with fellow players, often gifting signed merchandise or game-used equipment.
Here are two PAA-related questions based on the provided text:
Frequently Asked Questions: The Goalie Who Let Alex Ovechkin Score His First NHL Goal
Q: Who was the goalie that allowed Alex Ovechkin to score his first NHL goal?
A:
The lucky (or unlucky?) goalie was Pascal Leclaire, who was playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets at the time.
Q: Did Leclaire think Ovechkin would be this accomplished?
A: Interestingly, Even though Leclaire saw the power in Ovechkin’s shot from the start, he likely didn’t foresee the legendary career Ovechkin would have. Leclaire has said that he never thought he’d be mentioned in the history books alongside Ovechkin!
Q: How many goals has Ovechkin scored against Leclaire in total?
A: Ovechkin scored five goals against Leclaire throughout his career.
Q: What does Leclaire think about Ovechkin’s chances of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s goal-scoring record?
A: Leclaire believes it’s great for the game that we’re witnessing this historical chase and would love to have a signed Ovechkin jersey as a souvenir of his role in the story.
Learn more about this fascinating piece of hockey history by reading the full article!
