WASHINGTON — The skate laces Kirill Kaprizov untied following the Minnesota Wild’s morning skate on Friday were white. But the Russian star forward admits that wasn’t always the case.
Two decades ago, when another Russian star — Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin — burst onto the NHL scene wearing his signature yellow skate laces, Kaprizov followed suit like countless young hockey players across North America and Europe.
Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals poses with the puck used during his 895th career goal in the second period against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on April 06, 2025 in Elmont, New York. Ovechkin’s goal passes Wayne Gretzky’s 894 goals to become the NHL all-time goal-scoring leader. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX ***
“When I was young, I have always yellow ones,” Kaprizov said.
He continued that small tribute to Ovechkin until about a decade ago, when he was playing junior hockey in Russia and a coach encouraged Kaprizov to switch to white. “I’m always in white ones now…(but) when I start playing, my father always put me in yellow ones.”
It’s easy to forget now, with Ovechkin becoming the NHL’s all-time leader in goals scored late last season, but both he and Kaprizov both missed a good portion of the 2024-25 season. Ovechkin suffered a broken leg that kept him off the ice for a time, while Kaprizov missed half of the campaign with a lower body injury that required surgery.
So, games like Friday night’s matchup in the District of Columbia, where the two countrymen meet head-to-head, are worth savoring.
“It’s always fun to play against him and with him. He’s just one of the best players in the world, and it’s always fun,” Kaprizov said. “I think we’re a little different players. He plays more his style of hockey and I play mine. But, obviously, with how many goals he scores, you always think about (how) he can score in different ways.”
Drafted by the Capitals second overall (behind Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby) in 2005, Ovechkin turned 40 last month and has spent his entire career in Washington, and last spring eclipsed Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 goals — a mark once thought to be untouchable. Entering Friday’s game, Ovechkin’s career mark stood at 897 and once again a larger than normal contingent of the North American hockey media is following him around, anticipating the “Great Eight” becoming the first NHLer to hit the 900-goal mark.
As Kaprizov has emerged as a legitimate superstar in the NHL himself, he and his one-time hero have become friends off the ice.
“Now, yes, but when I was young he didn’t know me,” Kaprizov said with a smile. “The last couple of years, I know him very well and we have some time together in summertime, in Moscow, going to dinners or somewhere else and skating sometimes together.”
Russian hockey remains banned from competitions like the World Championships and the Olympics due to the ongoing war with Ukraine, last competing on the international stage in 2021. But Kaprizov said he and Ovechkin have skated on a line together for Team Russia a few times.
With four goals in the Wild’s first four games this season, Kaprizov entered Friday’s game with career 189 goals. If he is able to maintain that goal-per-game pace — which is highly, highly unlikely — for the next eight-plus seasons, Kaprizov could be challenging the 900 career goals milestone right about the time that his recently-signed $136 million contract extension is set to expire in the spring of 2034.
Wild get Olausson in trade with Sharks
The Iowa Wild got a little bit of a different look on Friday as Minnesota general manager Bill Guerin worked a deal with the San Jose Sharks that will bring a former first-round draft pick to Des Moines.
The Wild acquired forward Oskar Olausson from the Sharks, sending defenseman Kyle Masters to the San Jose organization in a one-for-one trade. Originally picked 28th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2021 NHL Draft, Olausson, 22, has appeared in four NHL games without recording a point.
He signed as a free agent with San Jose last summer.
Masters, 22, spent the bulk of last season with the Iowa Heartlanders of the ECHL but did play 16 games at the AHL level. He was originally a fourth-round pick of the Wild in 2021.
The Wild assigned Olausson to Iowa.
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