Alex Ovechkin has been with the Washington Capitals for 13 years after going No. 1 overall in the draft. He's been their captain since 2010. So who else was going to win the Conn Smythe Tropy for the Capitals after their first Stanley Cup victory? Ovechkin capped a postseason that Capitals fans will remember forever by winning the NHL's postseason MVP award. And the moment that he touched the trophy, it solidified a career that needed no validation.

Throughout the postseason, Ovechkin led the NHL with 15 goals, the 15th coming in Game 5. He was second on the team in points with 26. And, above all else, he continued to be the lifeblood of the Washington Capitals. In five games against the Golden Knights, Ovechkin put up three goals and two assists. He had a point in every game for Washington. And his presence was felt constantly.

Ovechkin's trophy case is filled to the brim. He has three Hart Memorial Trophies for league MVP, seven Maurice Richard Trophies as the leading goal scorer in hockey, and an Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer. All of those, however, built up to this: Ovechkin winning the Conn Smythe as the player that led his team through the NHL Playoff gauntlet. It's a career in the making, and much like Ovechkin hoisting the Cup, it's one of the iconic moments that we've seen from the Capitals on Thursday.