Washington, D.C.- In a moment overshadowed only by Alex Ovechkin‘s historic achievement, St. louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington briefly attempted to conceal the puck from Ovechkin’s 900th career goal Wednesday night, sparking a minor on-ice incident during the Washington Capitals’ 6-1 victory. The milestone goal, a backhanded shot that beat Binnington three minutes into the second period, made Ovechkin the first player in NHL history to reach the 900-goal plateau.
The unusual sequence unfolded as the Capitals celebrated on the ice. Binnington retrieved the puck from the net and, while skating away from the crease, tucked it into his pants. The act was captured on TNT’s broadcast, promptly drawing attention from viewers. NHL linesman Michel Cormier intervened, approaching Binnington and requesting the puck’s return, which was ultimately complied with.The puck is expected to be sent to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Ovechkin’s 900th goal proved to be the game-winner, marking the 138th game-winning goal of his career – another NHL record. Binnington was later pulled from the game,having allowed four goals on 15 shots and replaced by Joel Hofer.
When asked about the incident, Ovechkin declined to comment, offering only a laugh. Capitals goalie Logan Thompson, who did not witness the attempt to keep the puck, offered a charitable interpretation. “I was just so happy ‘O’ got it,” Thompson said. “I don’t know, maybe he was trying to grab it to give it to him. Who knows?” Binnington was unavailable for post-game comment.
