Alex Ovechkin worked hard over the years to obtain a game-used stick from Wayne Gretzky. Now, it turns out that his head coach, Spencer Carbery, has a very special piece of hockey history from The Great One himself.
Ovechkin has one of hockey’s most impressive stick collections. He’s been building it since his rookie season in the NHL, with many sticks autographed and some featuring personalized messages.
Among his prized possessions are game-used sticks from Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky, but getting one from The Great One wasn’t easy. Wayne told him he’d get a stick—but only after Ovechkin had won a Stanley Cup. In 2018, Ovechkin did just that, and Gretzky kept his promise.
Gretzky’s awesome gift to Spencer Carbery
As it turns out, Ovechkin isn’t the only one in the Washington Capitals’ organization with a unique piece of hockey history from Wayne Gretzky.
“Actually, back in 1987 or 1988, I got a signed Wayne Gretzky stick,” Caps head coach Spencer Carbery told 106.7 The Fan’s Sports Junkies, per RMNB. “Yeah, it was one of the original Titan wooden sticks. That’s what Wayne used during his Edmonton Oilers days—a red Titan stick. I got it as a seven- or eight-year-old kid, personalized and signed. It was my prized possession growing up.”
Carbery believes the stick brings them luck
Carbery takes great care of the stick. He used to keep it at his home in British Columbia but brought it to DC last year, where it now stays at the Caps’ practice facility.
“I’ve always been nervous to transport or mail it, so I got my dad to bring it over when we played the Canucks,” Carbery said. “I brought it back on the plane, so it’s currently in DC. I don’t know if it’s superstitious, but I had it in the office at MedStar, and I’ve just let it sit there. It feels like it’s been good karma for Ovi as he’s chased this record over the last 12 months. It’s a reminder, and in a weird way, I feel like it’s pushing Ovi.”
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