What Kind Of Person Is Alex Ovechkin Off The Ice? Brendan Morrison's Story About A Ride To The Airport In Edmonton Says It All

When Brendan Morrison played for the Washington Capitals in 2009-10, he was amazed by the goal-scoring prowess of a young Alex Ovechkin. But a road trip in Edmonton solidified just how much of a presence the captain was off the ice as well.

Morrison took the time to reflect on Ovechkin and his time with No. 8 on the latest episode of That's DC Hockey, recalling his passion and enthusiasm for the game.

"Genuine joy and just love of the game," Morrison said.

But when it came to his favorite memory of the captain, Morrison had quite the story to tell.

"We had a road trip out west and we played in Edmonton. We left the rink and heading to the airport, there was a car that was following us to the airport the whole way there," Morrison recalled.

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In the car was a young boy holding up an Ovechkin sign, wanting to get the Russian star's attention. The car didn't let up, following the team's bus all the way to a private airport that the team was flying out of.

"When we go there, we were walking out to the plane on the tarmac, there was like a chainlink fence that kind of wasn't too far away from the plane, and there this kid that was out there who was in the car and had the sign," Morrison explained.

As the Capitals boarded the plane waiting to take them to their next step, Ovechkin diverted from the plane to meet that boy and his family.

"He walked across the tarmac, signed this kid's sign and came back to the plane," Morrison said. "I thought, 'Man, what a memory for that kid,' right? That family, to have a guy go and do something like that, really above and beyond, that was pretty special."

It wasn't the only time that Morrison experienced Ovechkin's selflessness; it was a daily experience.

"It was Ovimania," Morrison said, adding, "There would be tables of memorabilia for him to sign, pictures, jerseys, pucks, and he would do it, no questions asked all the time. Just a selfless guy, happy-go-lucky, just loves the game."

Over a decade later, Ovechkin and the Capitals are back in Edmonton to take on the Oilers, and Ovechkin is now 21 goals away from Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record.

The full episode of That's DC Hockey featuring Brendan Morrison is here on The Hockey News, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.