Wayne Gretzky is the NHL’s all-time leader in goals scored with 894. In recent seasons, Washington Capitals center Alex Ovechkin has emerged as an increasingly legitimate threat to break that record.
Ovechkin has 752 career goals, leaving him 142 shy of matching Gretzky. While that sum looks significant, it’s plausible that Ovechkin could break the mark ahead of his 40th birthday if he can keep scoring at a pace of about 50 goals per season.
Gretzky, for one, thinks Ovechkin will do it. In fact, he thinks there is “no doubt” that Ovechkin will ultimately pass his mark at some point.
“It’s not even a question that he will pass me, and I think it’s great,” Gretzky told David Waldstein of the New York Times. “He’s well on his way to 40 or 50 goals this year, maybe more. There is no doubt that ultimately, he will break the record.”
Ovechkin has 22 goals in 31 games so far this season, so he’s certainly operating at the pace he would need to. He also hasn’t slowed down at the age of 36, so he may well be able to keep scoring for years to come. If that happens, Ovechkin can certainly break the record no matter what other obstacles pop up. Gretzky would certainly know, and if he thinks Ovechkin is going to do it, he’s probably worth deferring to.
