Alex Ovechkin is three goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goals record. The Capitals captain can secure his spot atop the goal-scoring mountaintop with a hat trick against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night.
Despite being so close to hockey immortality, Ovechkin appeared unaffected by the avalanche of media at the Capitals’ morning skate. Instead, the Great 8 echoed most of the same things he’s told reporters during his chase throughout the year.
“[My focus is the] same,” Ovechkin said. “Game by game. I think what’s happening right now – it’s great for hockey, great for DC. It’s pretty cool.”
Ovechkin has scored 32 hat tricks during his illustrious 20-season NHL career, ranking him fifth all-time behind just Gretzky (50), Mario Lemieux (40), Mike Bossy (39), and Brett Hull (33). Two of Ovechkin’s hat tricks have come during the 2024-25 season against the Edmonton Oilers and the Vegas Golden Knights.
The 39-year-old winger has prior experience netting three goals in one game to achieve a goal-scoring feat. Against the same Blackhawks franchise he will face off against on Friday, Ovechkin potted three goals in Chicago on December 13, 2022, to reach career goals 798, 799, and 800.
“I’m just focusing on my game,” Ovechkin said. “We’ll see what’s going to happen. If you’re going to think about too much, it’s going to be hard to do.”
The Capitals’ skate on Friday had many familiar faces present as former Ovechkin teammates Nicklas Backstrom, TJ Oshie, Devante Smith-Pelly, Braden Holtby, and Brooks Orpik watched on from inside MedStar Capitals Iceplex. The collection of 2018 Stanley Cup champions will watch the Caps play the Blackhawks in person as they’re being honored at Capital One Arena in the final “Eras Night” of the club’s 50th Anniversary season.
“I think everybody will have fun right now because everything’s happening, like lots of attention, lots of friends, and [media],” Ovechkin said. “So, yeah, you just have to enjoy it.”
Gretzky himself, alongside NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, are also expected to be in attendance. Gretzky has long stated that he wants to be the first person to shake Ovechkin’s hand after the record-clinching goal is in the back of the net.
“Yeah, he’s great,” Ovechkin said. “He’s being supportive of it all the time to me. How I said, it’s fun time right now. We’ll see what’s going to happen. But right now, with all the attention to hockey game, it’s a really cool moment.”
