It is up to all of us
To listen
To acknowledge
To learn
To speak up
To act
It is up to all of us to listen and hear the voices and stories of those whose basic human rights have been denied
It is up to all of us to acknowledge the ongoing suffering and oppression of the black community
It is up to all of us to learn and try to understand the history of oppression the black population has faced
It is up to all of us to speak up and raise our voices against the systemic racism that has plagued our country for centuries
It is up to all of us to act and work diligently towards a culture shift, including within hockey
It is up to all of us to work together to achieve equality for all
It is up to all of us to come together with one voice and a united purpose
We will stand against inequality with our actions
Together we are louder
Together we are stronger
Together we are united for change
An oral history of the early years of the Alex Ovechkin era in DC
ALEX OVECHKIN
Obviously it was a special moment to win the Calder, because it was a big battle between me and Crosby. I had more points than him, but I felt like, "He is Canadian, and he is probably going to win it." We went there just for fun. Of course my family was there and my agent was there, and I was like, "Whatever. Whatever happens, happens."
And when I won it, I didn't even prepare my speech because I was a hundred percent sure Sid was going to get it. And I was shocked. As soon as I won it, I was shocked. I was like, "Holy moly, what do I have to say?" My speech was tremendous, I think. And Olie won, and we drafted Nicky.
As soon as you look back and remember all of the moments we have had together, we have had ups and downs. We have had good nights, we have bad nights. We have good days, bad days. But it doesn't matter what happened, we always kind of look back because we knew it's me and him that was going to carry this team until the moment when we won. That was something special, because basically we built this franchise. I was first guy who came into the league, and he was second. This is my 15th [season] and him the same. It's crazy how times fly, but that's something special that me and him are still here together. Of course, different guys have come in and lots of talent has come into the league and to the team, but it's not the same. Me and him came to the team when it was rebuilding. They built a new organization, a new franchise, and it's something special.
TED LEONSIS
I'll never forget when we had this season ticket holder event, and there was all this speculation. We did a good job of keeping it quiet, and I said, "I have good news and I have bad news. What you've been reading about Alex signing a five-year extension, it's just not true." And it was like, "Oh, he's leaving - there was already chatter: Montreal and all the Canadian teams." And then I said, "He's staying for 13 years!" and the place went nuts.
...I remember we had the announcement, and Nick drove him here and was hanging out with him. And that - I think - compelled [Nick] to say, "Well, I want to be here. I'll do 10 years." And so then you have your two first-round picks - both bedrock guys - committed to the community long term.
OLIE KOLZIG
It's still so hard to put it into words. I mean, it was so surreal and I think it still is. Watching the [Cup] Final this past June and seeing St. Louis celebrate, I just put myself back at T-Mobile Arena. We had the countdown, and we had the whole staff up there, and we were just jumping around like we were little kids. And then we went down on the ice.
I still can't really put it into words. It was obviously one of the most special moments I will ever feel. But I think that really the coolest part of that whole day and that whole night was when Ovi came over. We hadn't really connected on the ice at all; he was doing his photo opps and he had his family there. He was getting ready to leave the ice with the Stanley Cup, and out of the corner of his eye he saw me, and he turned right around and skated over to me with the Cup. He said, "Can you believe we did this, bitch?" And he handed it to me. To me, that was my favorite moment of that whole run, that whole experience.
This entire article is just a fantastic love letter to and description of how the Ovechkin era got started, starting with the Caps winning the lottery and including quotes from a ton of old teammates and it’s so, so Ovi, from freaking out over winning the Calder and drafting Nicky to handing the Cup to Olie Kolzig, the goalie he grew up with.
“Can you believe we did this, bitch?” What an icon.
