Photo credit: Sports Illustrated

Alex Ovechkin has been the face of the Washington Capitals for two decades, but now he’s revealed which other NHL teams he loves beyond his own.

Alex Ovechkin is renowned as one of the most competitive players in the NHL, building competitive rivalries with many players over the years, but does he have a favourite team beyond his own? That question was posed to the Capitals captain in a recent interview, and his answer won’t surprise you.

«I like Tampa – they play combination hockey,» Ovechkin said per a transcription by sports.ru and a translation by Google Translate. «Everyone plays a pass, it’s nice to watch.»

The Tampa Bay Lightning have won two Stanley Cup’s in recent times, and did so with great depth and team oriented play, something that became synonymous with the team during their three straight Stanley Cup Finals appearances. Ovechkin, who is on pace to take down Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal scoring record in the near future also singled out another team, and given the stellar play of captain Connor McDavid, it’s no surprise that he keeps a close eye on the incredibly talented Edmonton Oilers.

«I like Edmonton,» Ovechkin said. «But again – it all depends on the players.»

Given those comments, it appears as though Ovechkin simply admires fantastic players that he sees as rivals, although the Pittsburgh Penguins and arguably his biggest rival Sidney Crosby didn’t get a mention. Regardless, it’s clear that the future of the NHL is incredibly bright with the likes of McDavid and Nikita Kucherov leading the way, who have clearly won the respect of one of the NHL’s greatest ever players.