Wayne Gretzky

Devante Smith-Pelly one of many notable athletes and celebrities to attend Game 5 of NBA Finals in Toronto

Up 3-1 over the Golden State Warriors, the Toronto Raptors were in position to wrap up their first ever NBA championship on Monday night. And the stars were out north of the border to show support to the team, including one player who knows a thing or two about clutch scoring in a decisive championship game.

Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly, who is an unrestricted free agent come July, attended the game and sat in the lower bowl behind one of the baskets. Smith-Pelly, a Scarborough, Ontario native, has attended several Raptors playoffs games since the Caps season ended, including some with his mother and family.

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By Ian Oland and Cara Bahniuk 1 month ago

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TJ Oshie was touched that his dad, who has Alzheimer’s, remembered the Caps’ Stanley Cup win the next day

The Stanley Cup was a memorable experience for every player associated with the Washington Capitals, but it may not have impacted a family more than the Oshies.

While a guest on Wayne Gretzky’s new podcast, The Great One on 1, TJ Oshie spoke about his journey to the Stanley Cup and what it meant to celebrate the win with his father on the ice in Vegas. Oshie’s father suffers from early-onset Alzheimer’s.

Living and sharing a life with someone in the family who has the disease is very difficult. But it’s the small victories that can become deeply meaningful.

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By Cara Bahniuk 2 months ago

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Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom featured in NHL Stanley Cup commercial narrated by Wayne Gretzky

The NHL has released a series of brilliant Stanley Cup commercials over the years. And, ahead of Game One of the Stanley Cup Final between the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues, the league posted another instant classic narrated by Hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky.

From Ray Bourque to Mark Messier, Gretzky spoke about the magical and meaningful moment when the captain of the victorious team passes the Stanley Cup off to who he believes is the most deserving teammate.

“Sometimes the choice is obvious,” Gretzky said as a clip of Alex Ovechkin handing the Stanley Cup to Nicklas Backstrom played.

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By Ian Oland 2 months ago

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Alex Ovechkin still has not received the stick Wayne Gretzky promised him for winning the Stanley Cup

Alex Ovechkin is chasing down Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record of 894. But, according to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com, he’s still chasing down the Great One’s game-used stick for his massive stick collection.

Gretzky famously promised Ovechkin he would give him one if he won the Stanley Cup.

Ovechkin did exactly that, but “I’m still waiting,” he told NHL.com in a wide-ranging interview that covered the Russian machine’s goal-scoring prowess.

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By Julia Karron 4 months ago

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Wayne Gretzky on Alex Ovechkin catching his goals record: ‘Alex definitely is the guy who has a chance’

After scoring consecutive hat tricks against the Detroit Red Wings and the Carolina Hurricanes, Alex Ovechkin became part of a larger national debate on if he could catch Wayne Gretzky’s seemingly impossible-to-catch goal record.

Gretzky scored over 50 goals in eight consecutive seasons to start his career, including an insane four-year stretch where he scored over 70 goals four times (92, 87, 73, and 71). Gretzky ended his 20-year NHL career with 894 career goals — 93 more than Gordie Howe in second place and 128 more than third place Jaromir Jagr.

The 33-year-old Ovechkin has 636 goals during his 13 seasons so far in the NHL. He needs only 258 more to tie The Great One. If Ovechkin continues at his career .61 goals per game pace, he would need to play in 423 more games (five-plus seasons) to catch Gretzky. With 29 goals in 35 games this season, Ovechkin is averaging .83 goals per game.

“Alex definitely is the guy who has a chance,” Gretzky said in a phone interview with the Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson before Christmas. “It’s great for the game and it’s a great watch. If he’s close I’ll be the first guy to go there (to see it).”

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By Ian Oland 7 months ago

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Wayne Gretzky on Alex Ovechkin’s Stanley Cup celebration: ‘He wore his emotions on his sleeve’

Wayne Gretzky appeared on Fox Business Network Friday afternoon to discuss the promotion of hockey in China and his investment in the company UNTUCKit on Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street.

The Great One had some interesting things to say about Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin and the celebrations in the DC area after the Capitals won the Stanley Cup.

“What Alex Ovechkin did last year, I think that he really elevated our sport to another level because it’s not about how good he played and what he did for the city of Washington, but how emotional he was and how he wore his emotions on his sleeve and how people rallied around that,” Gretzky told Bartiromo.

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By Julia Karron 11 months ago

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Alex Ovechkin does not believe it’s possible to break Wayne Gretzky’s goal record

On Tuesday, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin returned to the facility of his old team in Russia, Dynamo Moscow. While there, he met with Sport-Express’ Igor Eronko, and the two spoke about Ovechkin’s next hockey milestone: beating Wayne Gretzky’s goal-scoring record.

Ovi did not think anyone would ever surpass Gretzky’s 894 career goals.

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By Donya Abramo 1 year ago

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Wayne Gretzky will finally give Alex Ovechkin the game-used stick he promised him if he wins the Stanley Cup

Ever since Alex Ovechkin first entered the NHL in 2005, he’s collected sticks from hockey players he’s admired. And for good reason! Ovechkin has two quasi-museums full of hockey collectibles: one in his Northern Virginia home and the other in his Moscow dacha.

But there’s one piece of memorabilia Ovechkin doesn’t have, and it’s driving him crazy: a game-used stick from Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky is widely considered the greatest hockey player of all-time.

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By Ian Oland 1 year ago

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In letter to NHL, Alex Ovechkin’s parents express hope their son can overtake Wayne Gretzky’s goal record

Alex Ovechkin has hit a number of milestones in his career. Several have come during the 2017-18 season, including his 1,100th point, his 500th assist, and now his 600th goal.

Many of Ovechkin’s career milestones have happened with his parents, Mikhail and Tatyana, in the stands. Though they were in Moscow when their son tallied goal number 600, that didn’t stop them from penning an emotional letter on NHL.com/ru.

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By Donya Abramo 1 year ago

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28 years ago, Wayne Gretzky was really embarrassed about how much money he made

On February 7, 1990, a bashful Wayne Gretzky did an interview with CBC’s Valerie Pringle.

Gretzky had just signed a nine-year, $30 million extension with the Los Angeles Kings, but found himself defending how much money was making. In his first full season with the Kings, Gretzky scored 54 goals and tallied 168 points. The new contract made Gretzky the highest paid player in hockey and one of the highest paid athletes in sports.

Fast forward three decades later and now there are athletes who make more than that in a single season.

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By Ian Oland 1 year ago

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