The Arizona Coyotes and Washington Capitals are facing off tonight at Gila River Arena, and it will be a reunion of sorts for rookie sensation Clayton Keller and Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin.

The teams met earlier this season when the ‘Yotes made a road trip to Washington on November 6th. The Caps ultimately won the contest, as both Ovechkin and Keller managed to score in a 3-2 Washington overtime win. But before the squads clashed, Keller and ‘Ovy’ had already met face-to-face.

Earlier this evening, the Coyotes released a photo of the two posing for a picture in Moscow, Russia. According to the team’s social accounts, Keller was 12-years-old when the photograph was taken.

 

Keller is currently 19, so that would make Ovechkin roughly 26 years old at the time of the photo. Here is a look at what each player looks like today:

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Christian Petersen/Getty Images

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Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images

The Russian superstar has never been one to turn down a photo from a fan. Towards the end of November, Ovy met one rocking the KHL’s Dynamo Moscow gear and didn’t hesitate to make the youngster’s day.

Who knows, maybe this fan will make his way into the NHL someday, too?

It’s always fun coming across photos of current hockey stars with their childhood heroes, and it’s especially a treat to witness them square off against each other. With a strong second half of the regular season, Keller could join Ovechkin on the long list of Calder Trophy winners.

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(H/T Arizona Coyotes