{"id":548949,"date":"2026-04-09T19:21:40","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T19:21:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/548949\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T19:21:40","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T19:21:40","slug":"crosby-and-ovechkin-rivalry-reaches-milestone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/548949\/","title":{"rendered":"Crosby and Ovechkin Rivalry Reaches Milestone"},"content":{"rendered":"

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"AAs two of hockey’s all-time greats face off for the 100th time, their legendary rivalry is captured in a cubist-inspired artistic rendering.Today in Pittsburgh<\/p>\n

Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, two of the greatest players in NHL history, will meet on the ice for the 100th and 101st times in their illustrious careers as their teams face off in a pair of games.<\/p>\n

Why it matters<\/p>\n

The Crosby-Ovechkin rivalry is one of the most storied in modern sports, with the two players dominating the NHL for nearly two decades. As they approach the end of their careers, this milestone matchup is a bittersweet moment for hockey fans who have witnessed their epic battles over the years.<\/p>\n

The details<\/p>\n

Crosby and Ovechkin were both drafted in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, with Crosby going 1st overall to the Penguins and Ovechkin going 1st overall to the Capitals. Since then, the two superstars have combined for 7 Hart Trophies (MVP award), 8 Rocket Richard Trophies (leading goal scorer), and 5 Stanley Cup championships. Their teams have met in the playoffs 5 times, with each player leading his team to victory on multiple occasions.<\/p>\n

Crosby and Ovechkin will face off for the 100th time on April 12, 2026.They will meet for the 101st time on April 14, 2026.<\/p>\n

The players<\/p>\n

Sidney Crosby<\/p>\n

A center for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Crosby is considered one of the greatest players of his generation and is a future first-ballot Hall of Famer.<\/p>\n

Alex Ovechkin<\/p>\n

A left winger for the Washington Capitals, Ovechkin is the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer and a surefire Hall of Famer.<\/p>\n

Got photos? Submit your photos here. \u203a<\/a>
\n What they\u2019re saying<\/p>\n

\u201cThis rivalry has defined an era of hockey. Crosby and Ovechkin are two all-time greats who have pushed each other to new heights.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Wayne Gretzky, Hockey Hall of Famer<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m just trying to enjoy these last few matchups with Sid. We’ve had so many epic battles over the years, and I’m grateful we’ve both been able to play at such a high level for so long.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Alex Ovechkin<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next<\/p>\n

The Penguins and Capitals will meet in the playoffs for the 6th time in their storied rivalry if both teams qualify for the postseason.<\/p>\n

The takeaway<\/p>\n

The Crosby-Ovechkin rivalry has elevated the NHL to new heights, captivating fans with their skill, competitiveness, and sportsmanship. As they approach the end of their careers, this milestone matchup is a bittersweet reminder of the indelible mark they have left on the game.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a As two of hockey’s all-time greats face off for the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":548950,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5114],"tags":[191,5,4,190,109,5222],"class_list":{"0":"post-548949","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-washington-capitals","8":"tag-capitals","9":"tag-hockey","10":"tag-nhl","11":"tag-washington","12":"tag-washington-capitals","13":"tag-washingtoncapitals"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116376378992832320","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/548949","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=548949"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/548949\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/548950"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=548949"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=548949"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=548949"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}