2025 marks the 20-year rivalry between all-time greats Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. The super-talented duo both debuted in 2005 and have, ever since, followed each other’s careers while playing for Metropolitan Division rivals—the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Both are known for their competitive nature, like that time Ovechkin challenged Crosby to a fight.
Few player rivalries have matched the intensity of the one between Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin. Since their debut in 2005, they’ve consistently been among the top players in the NHL. Even now, at ages 37 and 39, they remain dominant forces in the league and hold several individual NHL records. Most recently, Ovechkin broke the all-time goals record and currently sits at 897 regular-season goals. The two have faced each other 73 times, and on one occasion, Ovechkin even challenged Crosby to “drop the gloves.”
Ovechkin challenged Crosby to fight
Many NHL fans consider Alex Ovechkin to be the more physical player compared to Sidney Crosby. However, when it comes to actual fighting, Crosby surprisingly comes out on top. While Ovechkin has only four career fights, Crosby has ten.
In December 2018, when the Capitals and Penguins met in a heated Metro Division matchup, Ovechkin and Crosby had a brief verbal exchange after the Capitals’ Tom Wilson fought Jamie Oleksiak. According to NBC’s Pierre McGuire, the conversation went as follows:
Crosby: “Why don’t you fight him?”
Ovechkin: “Why don’t you fight me? Stop talking!”
The superstar duo didn’t fight that time, but since both are still active in the league, NHL fans can continue to hope for a showdown. You can watch the memorable moment below.
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