“Ovi, thank you for 21 years of the greatest rivalry in hockey. It has been a pleasure,” said the Penguins PA announcer.
“And if you want, we’re ready to go for 22,” he quipped.
Fans at the arena gave Ovechkin a standing ovation, while the NHL’s all-time leading scorer waved to the crowd.
Penguins players on the opposite bench joined in for the ovation.
Ovechkin is in the final season of a five-year, $47.5 million contract and said earlier this week that he will wait until the offseason to decide whether he’ll play in the NHL again next season.