Ryan Leonard, Oliver Moore get first points in same game Ovechkin tied goal record
Friday night’s game between the Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks will forever be remembered as the night Alex Ovechkin tied Wayne Gretzky for the most goals in NHL history.
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Friday night’s game between the Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks will forever be remembered as the night Alex Ovechkin tied Wayne Gretzky for the most goals in NHL history.
But for Capitals rookie Ryan Leonard and Blackhawks rookie Oliver Moore, the game will hold a special meaning for a different reason.
Both rookies collected their first NHL points in the game, with Leonard scoring his first goal and Moore collecting his first two assists.
Leonard and Moore both turned pro in recent weeks after their NCAA seasons ended and were teammates on the United States’ gold medal-winning team at the World Juniors in early January.
Leonard, a first-round pick by the Capitals (eighth overall) in 2023, is a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s best player after scoring 30 goals and 49 points as a junior at Boston College.
Moore, the 19th overall pick in 2023, completed his junior season at the University of Minnesota with 12 goals and 33 points.
Ovechkin scored career goals No. 893 and 894 in the game to tie Gretzky and make hockey history. Moore and Leonard have a long way to go to get to those totals, but they will certainly be inspired.
