Ten years ago Monday, Alex Ovechkin made his NHL debut in the Capitals’s 3-2 victory over Columbus at what was then MCI Center. I attended the game with my dad and was at least as excited about the mini replica Stanley Cup giveaway and the return of hockey after a year-long work stoppage as I was about seeing Ovechkin.
I had read plenty about Washington’s phenom, but having followed D.C. sports for almost as long as Ovechkin had been alive, I was understandably skeptical that this No. 1 pick would live up to the hype.