Surely most of you have by now heard this heartwarming story that dates back to January, 2015.
Alex Ovechkin showed us all how his love for the game is unmatched when he campaigned to be selected last in the All-Star game so he could donate the 2015 Honda Accord to Ann Schaab and her Washington Ice Dogs, a team that provides special needs kids and adults a chance to play hockey.
Ann has downs syndrome and has a massive crush on the NHL super star.
Ann Schaab was the lucky 10-year-old girl who went on a sushi date with Ovechkin earlier in the 2014-15 season.
Every year, the league gifts a different car prize to the NHL player selected last in the All-Star fantasy draft. This year was thought to be no different, and the other players couldn't figure out why a multi-millionaire such as Ovechkin would need to win the car.
"He wanted the car, but it seems like he always gets exactly what he wants, whether it's goals or Rocket Richard Trophies," said Rick Nash, an alternate captain for Jonathan Toews. "The Captain had a plan for that."
Despite his All-Star peers getting a kick out of Ovechkin's comedy act, the Russian forward still had high hopes that he was going to roll out of the All-Star game with the brand new Cherry Red Honda Accord.
However, in the end all hope was surely lost when Ovechkin was selected third-last in the draft by team Foligno.
"He was lobbying to go last in the draft to get the car, so we had it planned that he was going to go third last no matter what," said Doughty, an alternate captain for team Foligno.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Filip Forsberg won the car's instead, as that year there had been a twist (without the knowledge of the players), the bottom two pick's each got a brand new Honda Accord.
"There was a little bit of talk before the whole event that we might let him slide to the end and let him sweat a little bit, then I think he embraced the fact a little bit too much for his own interest," Toews said. "So unfortunately he didn't come away with the car, but we'd have liked to have him on our team too."
In the end, Alex Ovechkin got the last laugh. When Honda discovered why Ovechkin wanted to win the car so desperately, they presented him with a giant key.
“Ann was just excited to hear her name,” Ann’s mother, Melissa Schaab, told ABC. “I don’t think she understood the significance of a car, what a big donation that is. There was one gentleman that interviewed Ovechkin after the game and he said something about ‘a very special girl named Ann’ and her face just lit up when she heard that. She said, ‘That’s me. He’s talking about me.'"
2 weeks after the All-Star game, Alex Ovechkin presented the brand new car to Ann Schaab and the Washington Ice Dogs.
Ovechkin signed Ann's jersey and then took a selfie.
The memory of such an incredible gesture needs to live on. Ovechkin showed us all his true love for the game of Hockey & his fans. Thank you for continuing to inspire young fans for this great sport.
