After hitting a bump in the road against the LA Kings, the Washington Capitals were comfortably back in the driving seat against the Red Wings. “We’ve put ourselves in a good spot here. We’ve just got to stay dialed in and make sure we’re playing our best hockey,” said goalscorer Tom Wilson. Wilson and Co.’s recent form has only helped Alex Ovechkin close the gap with Gretzky.

While Tom Wilson scored his 30th goal of the season, Ovechkin notched an assist, staying 8 goals away from Gretzky’s record. Yet, among the many highlights of the night, the two fans who watched Ovi chase the milestone, stood out. That’s because these two grown men wearing massive eights on their heads were none other than the two kids who did the same two decades ago in 2005.

These two fans who literally grew up as Alex Ovechkin fans caught the camera during the “window of opportunity” segment, wearing what seemed the same foam signs from two years ago. However, this was far from their second time recreating the viral moment from 20 years ago. That’s because there was something different about the foam signs.

Besides looking yellow and old, both the signs sported Ovechkin’s signature. So this is definitely not the first time the duo have recreated the fan moment since 2005. However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that for two decades, these loyal fans followed the 39-year-old’s iconic career. They are now ready to watch their idol clinch the most coveted NHL record of them all.

What makes Alex Ovechki’s chase even more astonishing is how dire things looked in November 2024. The Gr8 broke his leg in November, but returned to the ice after just 40 days, at the age of 39. While many had feared his season would be over, the NHL star resumed his chase, scoring 19 goals in the 33 games since his return. And now his record chase has become an event the entire city is following with bated breath.

Alex Ovechkin fever has gripped Washington

You often hear of the passion of ice hockey fans. Yet, rarely do we see an entire city gear up in anticipation of an NHL player chasing down a record. That’s how legendary Wayne Gretzky and Alex Ovechkin’s effort to beat The Great One’s record has been. As the Russian star closes in on the coveted record, official goal counters are popping up across Washington, DC.

DC region residents can spot these counters everywhere from Ben’s Chili Bowl to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History to MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Virginia. Artists like Brandon Hill and David Barr are also preparing to debut epic murals dedicated to Alex Ovechkin. Hill’s ‘G.O.A.T – Gr8est of All Time’ mural will debut in Adams Morgan neighborhood sometime in March.

Hill will paint on Jubilee Housing’s primary headquarters building wall. Meanwhile, designer David Barr, the ‘GR8NESS’ mural will debut on the Union Market District’s Market building wall in late March. Yet, that’s not all. The Capitals want every fan to fault their excitement toward Ovechin’s historic chase.

The team invited fans to the Capital One Arena Team Stores to pick up special “Watching Gr8 Chase” lawn signs. As per WUSA9, each fan can take home only one of these signs, and will be available till supplies last. So it’s no wonder the duo recreated the moment when probably no one thought Alex Ovechkin would reach such heights.