Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin have changed the NHL forever. Their rivalry had the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals fighting for their lives in the Metropolitan Division every single year and has been one of the biggest storylines in league history. However, Crosby has now confessed that the animosity between the two sides has faded over time.
“It’s still there, maybe not to the extent that it was,” Crosby stated on his rivalry with Ovechkin and the Capitals, via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Hopefully people have been entertained. As competitors, as athletes, it’s been pretty cool to be able to be a part of some big games and that rivalry.”
The cooldown in the rivalry was made clear before puck drop and after the final horn in Washington’s 3-0 victory over Pittsburgh in the 2025–26 NHL season. Crosby and Ovechkin shared a moment before the game and were also together afterwards, when Crosby and Evgeni Malkin signed Ovi’s jersey and gifted him some memorabilia from the game. Moreover, Ovechkin thanked Crosby after the potential last matchup in the league.
Crosby vs Ovechkin: A rivalry built on respect
As fierce competitors as they are, and as much as both want to win against the other, Crosby and Ovechkin have built a bond over the years. As Crosby noted, the rivalry shifted a long time ago. The Penguins and Capitals haven’t been as competitive in recent years, and neither star has had it out for the other.
Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby smile before what could’ve been their last meeting in the NHL.
Instead, it seems both have become more aware of the other’s greatness. Despite being pitted against one another for their entire careers, both Crosby and Ovechkin have the utmost respect for one another, and their rivalry is far from an animated one nowadays.
Playoff matchups between Crosby and Ovi
Much can change if the Capitals end up coming away with a postseason berth. If Washington secures the third spot in the Metro Division, it will go up against second-seeded Pittsburgh in the first round. Perhaps that’s exactly what the rivalry needs to reignite its competitive flame.
Crosby’s Penguins and Ovechkin’s Capitals have met four times in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with the former holding a 3-1 series advantage. Moreover, the Pens are 9-2 all-time against the Caps in playoff series. Washington is by far the team Pittsburgh has knocked out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs the most. Maybe Ovechkin will get the last laugh. Or perhaps Crosby will send him into retirement with yet another playoff elimination.
As it stands, that might be a best-case scenario for the Capitals, who are in need of somewhat of a miracle to even make the postseason. As it stands, the Philadelphia Flyers are in full control of their destiny as the third seed in the Metro. That would make for a vintage playoff showdown between the Flyers and Crosby’s Penguins. Contrary to his rivalry with Ovechkin and the Caps, that matchup will be filled with vitriol, as Crosby has lost none of his dislike for the Pens’ cross-state rivals.
