Alex Ovechkin on Friday scored two goals in his Washington Capitals’ 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The two goals gave him 894 for his career, which tied Wayne Gretzky for the most ever.
Gretzky was in attendance as Ovi tried to surpass him in the record books, and The Great One had an explanation for his decision. Gretzky told reporters after the game that he was there because he wants to help pass the torch.
“The integrity of the game … when I was breaking Gordie Howe’s record, he was there. And I said two years ago that if Alex gets close to my record, I’ll be here. That’s the National Hockey League. From (Jean) Beliveau to (Gordie) Howe, (Bobby) Orr, (Mario) Lemeiux, (Mark) Messier — you pass it down,” Gretzky said.
“I hope — and you guys might not believe me — if somebody breaks Alex’s record, I hope Alex is there to shake his hand. But right now I hope Alex enjoys it. And he deserves all the credit and accolades he’s getting.”
“When I was breaking Gordie Howe’s record, he was there. And I said 2 years ago that if Alex gets close to my record, I’ll be here.”
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 5, 2025
Wayne Gretzky is in DC to continue to pass down hockey’s legacy 🔥 pic.twitter.com/x8GsIGCsHh
Gretzky loves hockey and has been a great ambassador for the sport and for the NHL. He is concerned about continuing the legacy of the game, which is why he was there for Ovechkin, and why he hopes Ovi will do the same when the time comes.
The real incredible part of the whole thing is how similar their stats are. Gretzky scored his 894th goal in 1,487 career games. Ovechkin got there in 1,486 games. That’s amazing.
