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Jordan Binnington, the longtime St. Louis Blues goaltender, offered more details about his thought process in the moments after he allowed Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin’s milestone 900th goal.
Binnington contended with some backlash after he put the puck into the back of his hockey gear. A linesman made sure to retrieve the puck from the stunned goalie.
Ovechkin was asked about it after the Capitals’ 6-1 win.
“Yeah, I just saw it,” he said when asked about it by a reporter. “You know, I’m not going to comment on it.”
Binnington is now making it clear that he fully intended to return the puck to the superstar Russian hockey player.
“Yeah, I figured I basically had an assist on the goal there, turning the puck over. [I] didn’t think he’d mind sharing it,” Binnington quipped on Thursday. “I had full intention to give it back to him.”
In April, Ovechkin surpassed Wayne Gretzky to become the top scorer in NHL history. On Wednesday, he became the first player in history to record 900 goals.
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The puck was returned to Ovechkin in time for locker room photos commemorating his achievement.
Before he was taken out in the second period of Wednesday’s loss, Binnington was charged with four goals.
He later praised Ovechkin for scoring the momentous goal. “Incredible play by him to catch that, spin around and get that on net from a bad angle. Obviously, he’s such a legendary player. Seeing a play like that still happening at his age, it’s next level. He continues to impress,” Binnington said.
Ovechkin’s teammate Logan Thompson also offered his thoughts on Binnington’s actions. “Maybe he was trying to grab it to give it to him,” he told reporters sheepishly.
According to Binnington said Thompson’s takeaway was correct and reaffirmed his intention to return to the puck.
“Full intention to give it back,” Binnington noted. “He’s a legendary, inspirational player for the game and for the league. It’s a good moment for him and their team.”
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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