While almost everyone around Alex Ovechkin believes he is destined to overcome Wayne Gretzky for the NHL’s top spot in all-time goals, including the main man himself, Ovechkin isn’t ready to talk in absolutes just yet. Heading into his 19th career season in the league, Ovechkin remains 72 tallies short of Gretzky’s leading 894 mark.
A couple of days after Ovechkin starred in a guest appearance at Danis Zaripov’s farewell KHL game, the Great Eight sat down with RIA Novosti’s Irina Motova. The two chatted about Ovi’s chase of the Great One and the possible importance of that feat to hockey history.
“I can’t predict how long it will take me to break Gretzky’s record,” Ovechkin said, as translated via Google Translate. “God sees everything. I can’t assess whether it will be possible to take a swing at Gretzky’s record for goals in the regular season and the playoffs. Life will show. Let’s see if I feel good. Let’s see.
“In every interview I’ve given over the past two years, someone is sure to ask about the record. Of course, I would like to do this. I once said that it is unrealistic. I still doubt that this is possible, but I will do my best to get close to this figure. Gretzky sincerely believes in me and expects this to happen. I think all the fans want it because it’s history. To be in this race is worth a lot.”
Ovi has regularly hedged his bets when asked about the record, so this is well within the norm. “You still have chances, man,” Ovechkin said in May of 2021. “You just have to go out there and do your thing. Maybe it will happen, maybe not. One step at a time.”
On the flip side, Gretzky has long been a supporter of Ovechkin chasing down his record, even telling Capitals team owner Ted Leonsis that he wants to travel with the team once Ovechkin starts closing in on the milestone. While speaking on a TNT pregame show last season, Gretzky said he believes it is a matter of “when not if” for Ovechkin.
Gretzky has shared his hope to watch Ovechkin break the record in person on multiple occasions, as he would like to extend the same grace that Gordie Howe did for him when he assumed the NHL’s all-time points record.
“I think it’s great, and if he does get there, and if he does break my record, I said I would be the first guy there to shake his hand,” Gretzky said in 2020. “I remember when Gordie was following me around and I was breaking his record, I said to my Dad one night, I said, ‘You know in some ways I feel kind of bad for Gordie Howe.’
“And my dad said, ‘You know what, somebody is going to break your record. And when he does, make sure you are as much a gentleman to him as Gordie Howe is to you. You smile, you shake his hand, and you are proud of what you accomplished. It’s better for the game.’ That is what I always think of. I always think of Gordie Howe and what my dad told me.”
Although Ovechkin still wants to play somewhat coy about the situation, many of his peers have been happy to talk about the chase, with names like Sergei Fedorov, Connor McDavid, Barry Trotz, Sidney Crosby, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Jaromir Jagr, Nicklas Backstrom, and Teemu Selanne among others all talking about the possibility.
While it may seem inevitable that Oveckhin will eventually crack the record, scoring 72 goals to tie the record is an unlikely feat in just one season. Instead, during the 2023-24 campaign Ovi will likely narrow in on becoming just the 16th player ever to reach the 1,500-point club. He is just 15 points shy of getting there.
He could also take down another of Gretzky’s lesser-known records which is for the most empty net goals in NHL history. At 54 markers in that regard, Ovechkin is just two shy of reaching Gretzky’s 56.
Headline photo: Alan Dobbins/RMNB
