Hockey Royalty Visiting Kraken For Next Two Home Games

Technically, the schedule says the Seattle Kraken in their next two games will be hosting the Washington Capitals (7 pm PT Thursday) and Pittsburgh Penguins (1 pm PT Saturday).

For Kraken fans tuning in or making their way to Climate Pledge Arena, though, the marquee attraction is getting one of the final looks at a pair of hockey immortals, Alex Ovechkin of the Caps and Sidney Crosby of the Pens.

Ovechkin, 39, and Crosby, 37, aren’t just inevitable Hall of Famers, or sure first ballot Hall of Famers. They’re both locks to be unanimous Hall of Famers.

Though Sid the Kid and The Great 8 continue to play at a ridiculously high level against pros 10, 15, even 20 years their junior, their teams make just one trip to Seattle each season. So don’t miss the opportunity to catch them while you can.

The 20-Year Debate (With No End In Sight)

Say, here’s a new angle for this story – let’s discuss which player is better!

Oh, wait. A Google search of “Crosby vs. Ovechkin” returns “about 2,010,00 results.” Less than two months ago, NHL.com assigned four different writers to contribute to a story headlined, “Ovechkin-Crosby rivalry still going strong 20 years later.”

From that story: “Crosby’s resume includes winning the Stanley Cup three times, the Hart Trophy as most valuable player twice, Art Ross Trophy for leading in points twice, Rocket Richard Trophy for leading in goals twice, and Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the playoffs twice.

“Ovechkin’s ledger includes winning the 2018 Stanley Cup, the 2005-06 Calder Trophy, the Hart Trophy three times, the Art Trophy once, the Rocket Richard Trophy a record nine times and the Conn Smythe.”

Then there’s the small matter of Ovechkin being 21 goals shy of passing Wayne Gretzky for the most scored in NHL history.

Ovi, by the way, has tallied against a league record 179 different goalies in his career, a list which doesn’t include Kraken netminders Joey Daccord or former Caps teammate Philipp Grubauer (yet).

Pittsburgh columnist Mark Madden: “Crosby and Ovechkin have decidedly different styles, with Crosby playing perhaps the best-ever 200-foot game. But goals are hockey’s most valuable currency.”

Washington columnist Barry Svrluga: “This is the NHL’s version of Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird, if Magic and Bird ever played in the same division. The duo has defined the sport across eras.”

Answer: There’s No Wrong Answer

Both fun and pointless, “Who’s better?” between 8 and 87 has been called by TSN “Hockey’s Greatest Debate.” How you answer probably depends on emotion and loyalty, and certainly depends on which metrics you use.

Crosby plays the more crucial position, center, as opposed to Ovechkin’s right & left wing, giving Sid more impact at both ends of the ice.

He has more team championships, plus the “Golden Goal” for Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

If team accomplishments are your metric – along with #87’s eye-popping 1,647 career points – the answer is Sid.

If, however, you prize the greater impact on the sport, Ovi is your man.

Chasing the goal-scoring record has captivated sports fans in general, as well as hockey fans across the world. For two decades, Ovechkin’s highlight-reel heroics, freight-train hits and durability have defied physics and father time. That gap-toothed grin, unbridled enthusiasm and larger-than-life personality is exactly the charisma the NHL has too little of, even in its superstars. Teammates also say he’s every bit the leader Crosby is.

The real answer to the question, in the words of the famous meme, is

Hey, I posted Zoidberg!