Alexander Ovechkin announced Monday morning that this will be his final NHL season with the Washington Capitals.
The timing wasn't an accident. He wrote that he wanted the news out before the first home game, so he could thank the people around him before the building filled up.
"My family and I decided this summer that this will be my final year in the NHL," Ovechkin wrote. He signed off with a line only he could pull off: "See you Wednesday, babes!"
That first home game comes Wednesday night against Pittsburgh. Of course it does.
Sidney Crosby, 39, and Evgeni Malkin, 40, will be on the other bench for opening night of a very long goodbye.
And the Penguins aren't showing up as props. They've piled up 13 goals in two games, and Malkin already has a pair on the power play.
Spencer Carbery now has a farewell tour and a youth push to juggle
The early returns on No. 8 are modest. Through two games, he has one assist, no goals and an even rating.
Washington split a road back-to-back to open the year, beating Carolina 5-2 on Friday before dropping a 3-1 decision in Tampa on Saturday.
The offense has come from elsewhere. Alex Tuch leads the way with two goals and a game-winner.
The kids are already in the mix. Cole Hutson, 20, and Ryan Leonard, 21, each have a goal, and Ilya Protas has chipped in an assist.
That's the tension Carbery inherits. Every shift for the 41-year-old now carries a storyline, while the roster underneath him keeps tilting younger.
How many minutes do you hand a legend on his way out when a 20-year-old defenseman is already finding the net?
Announcing it now was the right call. Sitting on this until February would've turned every road trip into a press conference circus.
A farewell season is like the last month before someone moves out of the house. Everybody's kind, everybody's emotional, and the dishes still have to get done.
The crease looks ready for the noise. Logan Thompson owns a .939 save percentage in his lone start.
The blue line is less settled. Matt Roy is day-to-day with a lower-body injury heading into Wednesday.
Chris Patrick, at least, has his answer on No. 8 for next summer. The rest of the GM's offseason math just got clearer, and a lot quieter.
Wednesday will be loud. The harder test comes Friday against the Rangers, when the emotion settles and Washington still needs the two points.
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Should Spencer Carbery keep Alex Ovechkin in the top six all season even if the Capitals' kids outplay him?
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