individual players and how that works in a team dynamic. There were all these different things that I’ d pick his brain on that helped me along the way. Little bits of advice, little tidbits of coaching insight that he could share with me from building a program. It helped me a lot.
HOW MUCH DO YOU GET TO PLAY TOGETHER?
Well, my brother [ Kayce ] is a big golfer down in South Carolina, a member at Camden Country Club, a Donald Ross course that’ s a hidden gem. My dad is getting a little older, so we’ ve started an annual dad-sons golf trip to take him to locations that he has always wanted to play but has never had an opportunity to. We started that last summer at Pinehurst. We played No. 2 a week after Bryson( DeChambeau) won the U. S. Open. That was an incredible experience. We’ re heading to Kohler, Wisconsin to play Whistling Straits this year. We’ re trying to build this bucket list of courses that Dad has always wanted to play, so we’ re able to share those moments with him as his two sons.
WHAT’ S THE STRONGEST PART OF YOUR GAME?
I’ m going to say my putting— that’ s where I can gain a few strokes during a round. I’ m usually good for one or two 20- to 25-footers a round. But just from handling the hockey puck throughout the year, I think the hands translate to golf.
HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO PLAY MANY VIRGINIA COURSES?
I’ ve played Washington Golf & Country Club, which was a great experience— very close here in Arlington. I’ ve played Army Navy. I’ ve also played Belmont [ Country Club in Ashburn ]. And this was before I was with the Capitals, but I’ ve played Keswick.
WHAT ARE SOME SIMILARITIES BETWEEN GOLF AND HOCKEY?
There’ s a lot. You ask anybody who knows a hockey player, and there’ s usually a safe bet that if he plays hockey, he’ s a pretty good golfer. The similarities in the [ golf ] swing and the motion of shooting a puck are, I think, what make hockey players such seamless golfers— that motion, your hip rotation. I think there are a lot of similarities not just from the swing and the mechanics of it, but I think hockey players just enjoy playing the game and getting out on the golf course. Plus, there’ s no contact. You don’ t have to worry about being body checked into the boards.
WHICH CAPITALS’ PLAYER IS BEST AT GOLF?
John Carlson plays a lot in Maryland over at Chevy Chase, and he’ s a really good player. Dylan Strome is an excellent player as well. And Osh [ T. J. Oshie ], when
Osh is healthy, he’ s right there with John. As an alum now and being retired, I’ d give an edge to Osh. But current player? I’ d say John Carlson.
SWITCHING TO HOCKEY, WHAT WAS IT LIKE HAVING A FRONT-ROW SEAT TO WATCH ALEX OVECHKIN’ S HISTORIC RUN TO BREAK WAYNE GRETZKY’ S ALL-TIME GOALS RECORD?
You had to pinch yourself at times through the season. Every once in a while, someone would remind you, or you would sit back and you would think about it. And you’ d say,‘ Oh my gosh, we are witnessing one of the greatest accomplishments in sports history at this moment.’ You would just have to shake your head and go,‘ Wow, this is incredible.’
When he broke his leg in that Utah game, right when he was on pace to break the record, you’ d start to think that maybe it wasn’ t meant to be this year. When he came back from that injury and it got to single digits, you could really feel it every day coming to the rink, the energy. Every time he got the puck in a scoring situation or any time he touched the puck on the power play, there was sort of a hush over the crowd and over our bench. It was something that you felt and something that I’ ll remember for the rest of my life, being able to be a part of sports history and O’ s chase of the greatest record we have in our sport.
A FRONT-ROW SEAT TO
History
ALAMY
Alex ALL-TIME GOALS LEADER
OVECHKIN
Head coach Spencer Carbery has had a firsthand view of one of hockey’ s most iconic careers.“ We are witnessing one of the greatest accomplishments in sports history,” he said of Alex Ovechkin’ s climb past Wayne Gretzky’ s all-time goals record.
326
Most power-play goals scored by any player
897
Most career goals in NHL history
136
Most game-winning goals in NHL history vsga. org S EPTEMBER / O CTOBER 2025 | V IRGINIA G OLFER 29