Budweiser showed “zero” beer to 3 former capital beers to stop Alex Ovichkin – Hockey Writer – Capital of Washington

Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin completed his pursuit Sunday to surpass Wayne Gretzky to become the NHL’s all-time leader with 895 goals. The next morning, Budweiser Canada seized a unique opportunity to smash a familiar promotion. The beer distributors produced special memorial cans marked “Zero of 895” that were presented to NHL goalkeepers who did not allow Ovechkin to score goals on them. While 29 goalies received unique souvenirs, only three members on the roster were former teammates of the Capitals.

Budweiser sends SUDS to 2020 Leo Messi target victim

At the end of 2020, Barcelona’s Lionel Messi broke the record for football’s all-time top scorer, a single club with 644 goals, and Budweiser launched a unique promotion to commemorate this historic achievement. The beermaker has created more than 644 unique bottles (numbered from one to 644) and gave it to the goalkeeper Messi has dealt with in Barcelona, ​​Spain for nearly two decades. Although bottles were created for each of Messi’s scoring strikes, only 160 goalkeepers received these special items.

Oblak and Buffon pose with their Budweiser. pic.twitter.com/lg7nncbm1f

– Barcelona Global (@barcauniversal) December 24, 2020

The current promotion from Budweiser in Canada is even more unique and stands out from the Messi campaign. To get Ovechkin’s feat, Budweiser transported 28 separate beer cans to each goalkeeper who denied Ovechkin’s shot in the NHL regular season or playoffs, but did not admit to the goal. There were 15 cybersetters (or 51% of those who received honors) playing a game against Washington’s all-time scorer and getting a memorial can to keep Ovechkin off the scoring table.

Follow Alex Ovechkin’s record goal, @budweisercanada Memorial of 28 goalkeepers #kingofzero Memorial jar. I like to see some names in this list, including now –@nhlpa Exec Rob Zepp. pic.twitter.com/9apkrq0kns

— Alex M. Silverman (@Alexmilverman) April 7, 2025

Holtby has a fight with his former teammates

Braden Holtby, the capital’s fourth-round draft pick, spent a decade with Ovechkin and from 2010-11 to 2019-20, including the team’s memorable 2018 Stanley Cup championship season. In 2016, the 6-foot-1-foot network agent dominated the NHL with a record of 42-13-6, 2.20 goal average (GAA) and .922 savings percentage (SV%), and claimed that Ben Bishop and Jonathan Quick’s Vezina Trophy won the Vezina Trophy. From the other end of the ice, Holtby watched Ovickin score 389 points during his time in Washington, accounting for 43% of his NHL total.

Related: 8 Fun Facts from Ovechkin’s GR8 Chase

Holtby’s only showdown against Ovichkin comes in 2021-22 As a member of the Dallas Star. The goalkeeper lost two shots from his former teammate with a 5-0 star. Although the result may be a result Holtby wants to forget, Netminder will still get the No. 70 can at the top of the label in honor of his former teammate celebrating his opponent’s goal.

Neuvirth rejects more than 20 shots

Michal Neuvirth was a second-round draft pick in 2006, denied Ovechkin’s 25 shots in nine games in his first six seasons of his career in Washington. The 11-year NHL veteran showed up with a record of 59-41-13, 2.67 GAA and 0.910 SV% in 134 games. The goalkeeper watched Ovickin score 259 goals in six seasons in Washington, accounting for 29% of his total goals. In March 2014, Washington replaced Neuvirth with Buffalo Sabers.

Neuvirth played for Sabres and the New York Islanders from 2013-14-2014-15, but never played against his former teammates until the 6-foot-1 goalkeeper signed a four-year free agent contract with the Philadelphia Pilot in the 2015 offseason. Neuvirth fought Washington seven times in the 2016-17-2018-2019 campaign, including three games in the 2016 playoffs.

Despite Ovechkin scoring three goals in his first three games against Flyers starter Steve Mason, Washington’s forward scored no points despite Neuvirth’s involvement, despite his former teammates completing Game 4-6 Philadelphia series on 16-shot rebounds online. Although he denied Ovechkin, it wasn’t enough for the flyers, as the capital eliminated the flyers in six games. Thanks to his 25 saves against Ovickin, Neuvirth earned himself a shiny special version of the silver can, featuring his Budweiser No. 30 jersey number.

Vanecek stopped Ovechkin despite allowing to arrive in Washington on June 3

Ovechkin’s most important teammate appears on the roster is Vitek Vanecek. The 6-foot-2 goalkeeper was Washington’s second round pick in the 2014 NHL draft and played 79 games for the Capitals with a record of 41-22-10. Vanecek looked Ovechkin 2020-21 and 2021-22. Washington traded Vanecek to the New Jersey Devils in July 2022 for a second and third round pick.

Since leaving the capital, the goalkeeper has stopped Ovechkin’s 19 in five games, one of the highest goalkeepers on this roster. As a member of the Devil in 2022-24, the goalkeeper fought Ovechkin four times and refused 13 shots. He was traded to the San Jose Sharks last March but did not show up against Washington during his time in California. Last month, Vanecek traded from San Jose to the Florida Black Panthers.

The 29-year-old defended the Stanley Cup title with a 1-3-1 record in five games, including a 6-3 loss to Washington on March 22. And Vanecek allowed several goals at Capital One Arena, but Ovechkin didn’t score on six. As a result, the goalkeeper was marked by the ledger of 183 different NHL goalkeepers, and the captain of Washington scored. Vanecek is one of only 10 goalkeepers, facing the NHL all-time scorer at least 10 goals instead of letting the goal score. Budweiser awarded Netminder with A Can, with his achievements as his No. 41.