WASHINGTON -- The decision was obvious when hockey aficionado Jake Irvin picked out what to wear to Nationals Park on Monday. The day after Alex Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky’s long-standing NHL goals scored record, Irvin reached for the Ovechkin Capitals jersey he got last year. “I figured it was only right to wear [it],” Irvin said. Irvin grew up in Minnesota, where the Wild are his hometown team. But since being drafted by the Nationals in 2018 and making his Major League debut in ’23, he has embraced the Nats’ hockey counterparts. “Being a part of sports in this city, that’s how you create a culture in a city, by supporting those other people,” Irvin said. “And I've obviously followed him since I was a kid and was just a fan before being in D.C. It’s really cool.” |
Upon arrival in the clubhouse, Irvin received a commemorative red T-shirt. On the front was a drawing of Ovechkin’s face with the words “The Most Goals in NHL History” around it. Irvin swapped out the jersey for the T-shirt to take the field for warmups. “In terms of just what it's done for the sport, how cool this season has been for him and the team, it’s up there for sure,” said Irvin.
The Nationals were playing on Sunday afternoon when Ovechkin reached the historical feat. Although Irvin couldn’t watch the goal live, he pored over video clips that evening.
“I watched it probably 200 times last night,” Irvin said. “I was just sitting at home, taking it all in. There were so many different things -- the fact that he just sat at the top of the blue line, took three hard strides in, like he knew it was coming. Just watching, dissecting the different parts of it and how cool it was, his teammates’ reactions. I tried to soak it in for not being there, but I watched it a lot. I watched it a lot.” |
Irvin met Capitals Stanley Cup winning goaltender Braden Holtby in 2023 at Nationals Park. Irvin said at the time it would be a dream to meet Ovechkin, too, and that hasn’t changed. “I want to [meet him] bad,” Irvin said. “I'm hoping that they come here. … [If we talk,] I’ll let it be natural. I heard he brings the energy, so we'll have some fun.” |
MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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DUDE & SOCKS TAKE NATS PARK |
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Dude and Socks, Dylan Crews’ pair of bernedoodles, made their Pups in the Park debut this weekend. They watched their dad’s first multi-hit game of the season from the outfield stands. “It was great. I was trying not to look at them -- I did a couple times,” Crews said. “I heard they did a good job today. They sat throughout the whole game. … It was good to play in front of them for the first time. Hopefully, they can come every game, we’ll see.” |
SUSANA OFF TO STRONG START |
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Pitching with Double-A Harrisburg, Nationals No. 2 prospect (MLB No. 76) Jarlin Susana recorded seven strikeouts and allowed only one run across four innings in his first game of the season on Sunday. The 6-foot-6 righty hurler is on an impressive streak. Susana has struck out 147 batters in 95 1/3 innings dating back to May 1, 2024, for a 36.6 percent strikeout rate. |
SPECIAL ANTHEM PERFORMANCE |
Fredericksburg Nationals pitching coach Justin Lord helps Minor League players reach their dreams of becoming Major Leaguers. This week, he had the opportunity to watch his teenage daughter, Abigail, pursue her dreams at Nationals Park. Abigail performed the National Anthem ahead of the Nationals-Dodgers series opener on Monday. With a Minor League off-day on Monday, the schedule worked out for Justin to be able to attend. “It’s definitely a surreal experience,” Abigail said. “With the teams that are here and him coaching for this organization and all of the fans that’ll be here, it’s just so exciting.” Justin recalled the first time Abigail performed the anthem. At only 6 years old, she took the mic at an Aberdeen IronBirds Minor League game at which he was coaching. Nationals Park was her largest audience to date. “It’s been really fun watching her chase what she loves,” Justin said. “When I was a little kid, I wanted to be a baseball player. I was fortunate to do that for a while and now coach, and then let her do what she wants to do.” |
• Wednesday: Howard University Day (co-branded hat with purchase of special ticket) • April 22 and 23: James Wood oversized bobblehead giveaway (first 10,000 fans in attendance each game) • April 25: Patriotic Series -- Military Appreciation Day • April 26: NATS20 cap giveaway (first 20,000 fans in attendance) • April 27: Kids Opening Day; Screech's Birthday |
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