Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Ovechkin finally gets car once Honda learns why he wanted it so badly

Alex Ovechkin

Alex Ovechkin

Brian Babineau

The atmosphere was loose during the All-Star weekend and it was a perfect opportunity for players to show off their personalities. Among it all, we had Alex Ovechkin’s quest to win one of the Honda Accords that were given out during the festivities. As it turns out though, Ovechkin had a specific use for that car in mind, per the Washington Post.

Ovechkin wanted to give it to the Washington Ice Dogs, which is a hockey team for kids with developmental disabilities. He has a connection with them after 10-year-old Ann Schaab approached him during a skating session with the American Special Hockey Association to see if he’d have sushi with her. He accepted the invitation.

Ovechkin lobbied to be one of the final two picks in the fantasy draft in the hopes of winning a car that way. Only he didn’t tell anyone why he was after the car, so All-Star team captains Nick Foligno and Jonathan Toews thought it was a joke.

“He was lobbying to go last in the draft to get the car, so we had a plan that he was going third last, no matter what,” Drew Doughty explained.

“Everybody felt like I just want a car to drive it,” Ovechkin later said. “Obviously I have lots of cars. Of course it kind of show time, do it for charity as well.”

So Ovechkin continued his quest by pursuing the All-Star MVP award, but he ultimately didn’t get a car that way either. In the meantime though, Honda decided to figure out why someone playing out a 13-year, $124 million contract cared so much about winning a car. When they found out his intentions through his representative, David Abruytn, they decided to give a car to Ovechkin.

“I’m pretty sure they’re going to be really happy and smiling,” Ovechkin said of the Ice Dogs. “But again, it’s great when you make those people smiling and happy. It’s good.”

Related:

PHT Morning Skate: Girgensons rap, more Ovechkin kindness

PHT Morning Skate: Ugly Christmas sweaters and Ovechkin’s heart of gold

PHT Morning Skate: Ovechkin’s mother reveals son’s quietly helping seven orphanages

Follow @RyanDadoun