Capitals' Alex Ovechkin Jokingly Gifted Forklift By Hurricanes Ahead of NHL Retirement in Photo

The Carolina Hurricanes apparently gave Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin a send-off to remember ahead of his last regular-season game at Lenovo Center.

The Capitals shared a photograph of Ovechkin sitting in a forklift ahead of a Tuesday night matchup against the Canes.

"Kind gesture here, as the Canes have gifted Ovi a forklift as part of his farewell tour," the photo caption read.

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The Hurricanes (5-1-1) and Capitals (3-2) dropped the puck in Raleigh at 6:45 p.m. ET.

Ovechkin contributed an assist back when the Capitals opened the season in Raleigh with a 5-2 loss on Oct. 2.

He scored his first goal of the campaign in the Caps' most recent game, a 5-3 Sunday loss to the Seattle Kraken.

Tuesday marks the first time this season Ovechkin, who announced earlier this month he would be retiring after the 2026-27 season, will be playing in an opponent's arena for the last time in his regular-season career.

That could mean a season full of tributes honoring an NHL career during which Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky's all-time goalscoring record.

Recently-retired Los Angeles Kings star Anže Kopitar, for instance, was celebrated with postgame handshake lines during his final NHL season.

The Daily Faceoff's Jeff Marek speculated on a recent episode of Daily Faceoff Live how the Hurricanes celebrate Ovechkin's career could set the tone for what his retirement tour will look like around the NHL this season.

That likely won't be the Capitals' focus heading into Tuesday's Metropolitan matchup. A division win over the defending Stanley Cup champions could would mark a valuable two points for a team hoping to make a final playoff run with Ovechkin next spring.