As the Capitals’ Alexander Ovechkin continues his GR8 Chase, franchise owner Monumental Sports & Entertainment and the NHL are making sure the team’s local broadcasters are not left behind in the historic moment.
The Ted Leonsis–led Monumental and the league have completed an agreement in which Monumental Sports Network will produce local broadcasts for four late-season Capitals games slated for exclusive national broadcasts, including traveling with the team. Those local productions will be used for archival and social media purposes, and are in particular aimed at keeping Monumental Sports Network play-by-play announcer Joe Beninati fully involved in the GR8 Chase.
Beninati has called Capitals games since the 1990s, even predating the Leonsis-led purchase of the Capitals in 1999, and his tenure in the booth more than covers the entirety of Ovechkin’s 20-season career.
“After 28 years in our broadcast booth, Joe’s voice has become synonymous with Capitals hockey and he deserves to call these once-in-a-lifetime goals,” said Zach Leonsis, Monumental president of media and new enterprises.
Ovechkin is now just nine goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record of 894 goals scored, a mark long thought to be untouchable, and the GR8 Chase has become a major late-season storyline for the league. The pursuit continues Thursday night in Los Angeles as the Capitals face the Kings.
If Ovechkin scores a historic goal, such as tying or breaking Gretzky’s record, Monumental Sports Network will immediately release recorded video and audio of Beninati’s call of the moment. The outlet will then be able to run a full game replay 24 hours after the national broadcast.
The broadcast cooperation agreement between Monumental and the NHL covers the following four Capitals games:
- April 6: at the Islanders (TNT/truTV/Max)
- April 10: vs. the Hurricanes (ESPN+/Hulu)
- April 12: at the Blue Jackets (ABC)
- April 15: at the Islanders (ESPN)
Monumental Sports Network will air the other 13 of the Capitals’ 17 remaining regular-season games. In addition to the GR8 Chase, the Capitals have aspirations for their second Stanley Cup in seven years, and are currently tied with the Jets for the league’s highest point total.
It is not yet certain who will be in the booth with Beninati for the historic call. Craig Laughlin has been his longtime broadcasting partner, but he is currently recovering from heart surgery, and Alan May has been filling in for him.
