By Greg Wyshynski
Copyright espn
Alex Ovechkin wants to lift the Stanley Cup again, but for now he’s willing to settle for an occasional bowl.
“I love cereal,” the Washington Capitals star told ESPN. “My kids love cereal. Breakfast is the most important meal every day.”
Ovechkin made sports history last season with the “Gr8Chase,” when he broke Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record (894) with a total that now stands at 897. That moment is now being commemorated in a way that combines Ovechkin’s on-ice achievement and his love of cereal.
Ovi’s Great Crunch, a limited-edition cereal celebrating Ovechkin as the NHL’s goal-scoring king, will be exclusively available at Giant Food stores in the Washington, D.C., area. It’s billed as a “classic cornflakes-style cereal” featuring Ovechkin in the franchise’s “screaming eagle” jersey. The product hits store shelves Friday, priced at $2.99 for a family-size 18-ounce box.
There’s another important connection to Ovechkin’s record chase: A portion of proceeds from cereal sales will support The GR8 Chase for Victory Over Cancer, an initiative Ovechkin helped start last season to raise awareness and funds for pediatric cancer research.
Ovechkin has donated money for every goal he’s scored since No. 885 and will continue to do so through the rest of his career. Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Capitals, has matched those contributions. The funds raised help support the V Foundation via Hockey Fights Cancer and will eventually establish the Alex Ovechkin GR8 Chase Pediatric Cancer Research Grant.
