Chasing Greatness: Ovechkin’s Pursuit Of Gretzky’s NHL Goal Record Brims With Reverence For The Legend

Alex Ovechkin is on pace to overtake Wayne Gretzky as the most prolific goal scorer in NHL history. Barring an injury, the Washington Capitals left winger could set the record late this season.

Gretzky scored 894 goals in an incredible career that ended in 1999 at age 38.

If all goes according to the current pace, Ovechkin, 39, will be the new scoring king in the spring of 2025 – or 31 years after Gretzky surpassed Gordie Howe in 1994.

Strictly for fun, let’s look at the longevity of some of the most famous records in the four major sports:

NHL: 31 years is the projected time that it will take someone to break Gretzky’s goal-scoring record.

MLB: 31 years is how long it took someone – Barry Bonds – to pass Hank Aaron (755 career homers) as the top home run hitter in Major League Baseball history. Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s record of 714 homers in 1976. Bonds moved past Aaron in 2007. (Ruth had the record for 39 years.)

NFL: It took 29 years before Jim Brown’s touchdown record was broken. Jerry Rice did it with his 127th TD in 1994. Rice finished with a still-standing record of 208 touchdowns.

NBA: 39 years is how long it took for LeBron James to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. He set the record in 2023, moving past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who established the mark on April 5, 1984.

And, so, the old adage is true. Records are made to be broken, even if it takes several decades to do it.

Howe felt immense pressure as he was trying to pass the legendary Maurice “Rocket” Richard. He set the NHL record by scoring his 545th career goal on Nov. 10, 1963.

“Now,” Howe said after establishing the mark, “I can start enjoying life again.”

Gretzky felt a different type of pressure when he was about to pass Howe. Howe was his boyhood hero, so it was almost an out-of-body experience to erase his record. Heck, when he was about seven years old, he would go into the barber shop and give a simple request: “Give me a Gordie Howe haircut.”

And during his march to No. 1, Gretzky talked with reverence about Howe.

“Gordie is still the greatest in my mind,” Gretzky said at the time. “And the greatest in everyone else’s mind.”

Always classy and humble, Gretzky is pulling for Ovechkin to top his record. (Interesting side note: Gretzky scored his 894 goals in 1,487 games, but Ovechkin is expected to do it in about 1,500 games.)

Related: Wayne Gretzky On The Grey Cup? Fun Facts About NHL And CFL's Championship Trophies

Gretzky said he wants to travel with the Capitals when Ovi is close to breaking the record. And Ovechkin told NHL.com that Gretzky is one of his greatest supporters.

“Even when I have a slump, he will sometimes text me and say: ‘Don’t worry about it. It will come.’ He’s on my side,” said Ovechkin, who appears to be pursuing the famous record with little stress.

Like Gretzky, as he chased Howe, Ovechkin oozes appreciation for the man whose record he is approaching.

“He’s the best player out there,” he said, “and he’s a great human.”

While Ovechkin figures to own the goal-scoring record in the near future, it’s hard to imagine fans considering the Capitals superstar as a better player than Gretzky.

In addition to his 894 goals, Gretzky finished with 1,963 career assists – 714 more than Ron Francis, the player who is No. 2 on the all-time list, and about 1,250 more than Ovechkin.

No offense to Ovechkin, but the Great One was the greatest. That, however, should not detract from the Great 8’s march to an amazing feat.

Get the latest news and trending stories right to your inbox by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or by visiting our forum.