Washington Capitals announced Friday that captain Alex Ovechkin has won the 2025 Mark Messier Leadership Award.
The award recognizes a player who shows great leadership on and off the ice during the regular season while contributing to community growth of hockey.
Mark Messier personally selects the winner after gathering input from team and NHL personnel.
Ovechkin has served as Capitals captain for 16 seasons. In April, he passed Wayne Gretzky to become the NHL’s all-time goals leader and finished his 20th season with 897 goals.
The 39-year-old forward helped Washington secure the top seed in the Eastern Conference with a 51-22-9 record.
Ovechkin scored 44 goals and recorded 73 points in 65 games this season.
This marks Ovechkin’s first time winning the award. Then-New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba received the honor last year.
