On Friday night, Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin was named the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award winner for the 2024-25 season. The award was first presented after the 2006-07 season and is given annually “to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities on his team, on and off the ice, during the regular season and who played a leading role in community growth in the game of hockey.”
While suggestions for nominees are solicited from fans, clubs, and NHL personnel, the winner is selected by the award’s namesake (Messier ). The NHL Hall of Famer is the only player to captain two different teams to Stanley Cups. Messier completed that feat in just four seasons, with the Edmonton Oilers winning the Stanley Cup in 1990 and the New York Rangers’ thrilling Cup-winning experience in 1994. “Thank you very much for giving me this Award,” Ovechkin told Messier on ESPN. “It’s a special award. It means a lot. I play hard every single day since my day one, and it’s been a helluva year… Chasing the Great One (Wayne Gretzky) and passing him was something special.”
Ovechkin scored 44 goals during the 2024-25 season, the third time he’s reached the 40-goal plateau in the last four seasons, despite missing over a month of action with a fractured fibula injury. His prolific goal-scoring garnered national attention in the sports media, and he established a new all-time regular-season record at 897 goals.
During his quest for Gretzky’s goal mark, Washington’s captain partnered with the V Foundation to contribute to pediatric cancer research for each goal he scores for the remainder of his NHL career. The Capitals’ parent company, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, will match each of Ovechkin’s contributions, which helps to showcase the Russian winger’s impact on the community in Washington.
Leadership qualities have been displayed for over a decade after the 39-year-old forward was named the 14th captain in Washington’s franchise history in Jan. 2010. It took nearly a decade, but Ovechkin’s five points in the 2018 Stanley Cup Final led the Capitals to a five-game series win over the Vegas Golden Knights for their first championship in franchise history. Ovechkin is under contract for one more year and would skate in his 1,500th NHL game for the Capitals early in the 2025-26 season.
Previous Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award winners include the inaugural recipient Chris Chelios in 2006-07, Sidney Crosby in 2009-10, Shea Weber in 2014-15, and Steven Stamkos in 2022-23. Last season, the award was presented to Jacob Trouba, then a New York Rangers defenseman. No player has won the award twice in the nearly two decades since its inception.
