Alex Ovechkin takes time away from busy NHL season to skate with special-needs players

During the hustle and bustle of an NHL season, some players are always known to give back and Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is certainly one of the bigger stars to always be generous with his time.

On Tuesday, the star winger visited the MedStar Capitals Iceplex for a skating session with nearly 100 players from the American Special Hockey Association, a group that supports over 80 special hockey programs across the United States.

“That's what it's all about," Ovechkin told reporters after the event. "We try to give them a smile. We try to do the best that we can to make them happy, and we get excited as well."

This is the sixth consecutive season the Capitals forward has hosted a session with ASHA. During that time, the organization has grown from 50 programs in 30 cities, to 96 programs in 90 cities across the nation.

"He (Ovechkin) supports us,” ASHA executive director Jen O’Brien said. “This is Alex Ovechkin and he gives us the time of day and we really appreciate that. We also don't take him for granted. The growth in the last year alone has been exponential and having him champion for us and helping us, he gives us credit."

Ovechkin is already a legend on the ice and it’s good to know that the 34-year-old is a role model off of it as well.

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