The Washington Capitals announced today “AR Ovi,” an augmented reality experience built by Balti Virtual in honor of Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin passing Gordie Howe for second on the NHL’s all-time goals list. Ovechkin scored his 21st and 22nd goals of the season and the 802nd of his career Dec. 23 against the Winnipeg Jets at Capital One Arena, passing Gordie Howe (801) for second place on the NHL’s all-time goals list. Ovechkin now only trails Wayne Gretzky (894) for the most goals in NHL history.
The augmented reality experience allows fans to bring Ovechkin into their world by either visiting washcaps.com/AROvi on any web browser or by accessing the effect via the Capitals’ Instagram profile. The virtual giveaway features a special congratulations message and the AR Ovi experience. Fans are encouraged to share photos of their AR Ovi by tagging @Capitals on social media.
Ovechkin scored his 802nd goal in his 1,310th career game, passing Howe (1,767 GP) on the all-time goals list in 457 fewer games played. Ovechkin has averaged 0.61 goals-per-game during his 18-year career, the seventh-highest rate in NHL history among players with at least 200 goals. Howe averaged 0.45 goals-per-game during his career, while Gretzky averaged 0.60. Since turning 35-years-old on Sept. 17, 2020, Ovechkin has maintained his career goals per game average, scoring 96 goals in 158 games played (0.61 G/GP). That marks the highest rate among players following their 35th birthday in NHL history.
The AR Ovi experience is the latest augmented reality initiative presented by the Capitals. The Capitals teamed up with Balti Virtual in September 2019 to bring the Ovi O’s cereal box to life with an AR game, Ovi O’s Slapshot presented by Giant. Fans were able to use Snapchat’s Lens Studio to play an interactive hockey game allowing them to control Ovechkin as he shot cereal at moving targets. The Capitals and Balti Virtual also debuted the AR game Tilt the Ice in April 2019. Fans who obtained special Tilt the Ice Bud Light coasters were able to trigger a 3D interactive rendering of a goaltender. By tilting the coaster left and right, they were able to move the goalie to make as many saves as possible before the conclusion of the game.
Baltimore-based with more than 20 years of experience, Balti Virtual is a full-service augmented and virtual reality studio aiming to inspire wonder and creativity with state-of-the-art immersive experiences.
