Budweiser sends special gift to NHL goalies Alex Ovechkin failed to score against

Beverage company Budweiser commemorated Alex Ovechkin’s record-breaking 895th goal by gifting NHL goalies who never fell victim to the "Great 8" throughout their careers.

The marketing campaign received much attention on social media, and several netminders received commemorative cans known as “Zero of 895.”

A total of 28 goaltenders got their commemorative cans, recognizing their efforts in stopping Alex Ovechkin from adding even more goals to his career list. The message addressed to the recipients read:

“The greatest goal-scorer of all-time couldn’t score on these kings of zero.”

While Ovechkin has victimized 183 goaltenders throughout his career, plenty of others have not fallen prey to the greatest goal-scorer of all time. Nevertheless, it is unclear how or why Budweiser chose the goalies it did.

Among the most notable is Curtis Joseph. “Cujo” stopped two shots from the "Great 8" in a 2007 game between the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs. That feat earned him the special edition Budweiser can.

Here’s a look:

Joseph joins other goalies like Michal Neuvirth, Mike Condon, Manny Legace, Mathieu Garon, Jocelyn Thibault and Jeff Zatkoff.

The NHL Alumni Association captured some reactions from honored goalies like Mike Condon. Condon acknowledged the honor and congratulated #8 with this message:

Similarly, Manny Legace thanked Ovechkin for “taking it easy on me.” Here’s a look:

With Alex Ovechkin still going strong, there’s no telling how many more goals he could score before his playing days are done. In the meantime, goal #900 looms on the horizon.

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Russia celebrates Alex Ovechkin’s historic feat

Lost among the hubbub surrounding Alex Ovechkin’s remarkable accomplishment is his hometown fans relishing in their native son’s record-breaking weekend.

Fans in Moscow were overjoyed by Ovechkin, who had cemented his NHL legacy. All over Moscow, buildings and billboards depicted the pride of the Russian people following Ovechkin’s record-breaking 895th goal.

Radio France International published an interesting piece on Monday, capturing the reaction in Moscow the day after Ovechkin’s historic goal. The piece quoted a local engineer, Leonid Alexeyev, who said he had waited for “many years” for Ovechkin to break the record.

Alexeyev’s comments emphasized the anticipation building up to the record moment. For many Russian hockey fans, it wasn’t if, but when. The article highlighted President Trump's and President Putin's announcement of possible US-Russia hockey matches to strengthen the bond between nations.

With Alex Ovechkin’s momentous milestone, such friendly matches could seem a reality. But for now, Ovechkin and the Capitals are preparing for the 2025 NHL playoffs.