Karl Alzner texted Alex Ovechkin an inside joke following the star’s hat trick in the Capitals’ 5-4 win in Ottawa on Thursday. Ovechkin, Alzner recalled, laughed and replied, “Don’t block any of my shots.”
Speaking to reporters from Kettler Capitals Iceplex, Alzner stood in the visiting locker room, a place he hadn’t been since his days in prospect camp, sitting next to Grant McNeill.
After signing a five-year, $23.125 million deal with the Montreal Canadiens in the offseason, Alzner is preparing to face his former team for the first time Saturday at 7 p.m.
For another season, Alzner will be part of the Capitals’ home opener.