The moment Alex Ovechkin erased Wayne Gretzky’s name from the top of the NHL’s career goals list, Gretzky celebrated.
“I was really happy for him. I felt like I scored the goal,” Gretzky said on the TNT broadcast on Sunday after Ovechkin scored record-setting goal No. 895 in New York. “I know the pressure he was under, the microscope he was under. I went through it myself. Honestly, I was elated for him. I thought, oh my gosh, good for you, man.”
Ovechkin scored in the second period against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena, fittingly on a power-play one-timer from the top of the left faceoff circle. Gretzky’s 894 record stood for 26 years, 8 days; he also set that mark against the Islanders.
“I talked to him the other night after the game,” Gretzky said, “and I thought maybe he might have been thinking, ‘I should do it in Washington.’ One of my boys asked me, ‘Is that possible?’ I said, ‘He’s so good, he can decide when he wants to score.’”
Gretzky, who has maintained a low public profile after heavy criticism over his support of U.S. president Donald Trump, took on a more public role this week as he participated in the celebration after Ovechkin scored goal No. 894 on Friday, then watched Sunday’s game from a suite.
After the record-breaking goal, Gretzky came to the ice as the game got paused for a brief ceremony to honor Ovechkin. Gretzky did not participate in media availability on Sunday, as he did Friday, but did an extensive in-game interview with Turner and discussed where his mind went after Ovechkin scored No. 895.
“I was thinking about my family, my mom and dad, about Gordie and Colleen Howe,” Gretzky said. “Colleen Howe bought my wife a beautiful bracelet (after Gretzky broke Howe’s goals record). A month ago, my wife said, ‘You know, Colleen Howe started a tradition. I’m not sure if anyone is going to break Alex’s record, but I want to give her (Ovechkin’s wife, Anastasia Shubskaya) something really unique.’ So, we went out and she picked out an eight-diamond ring for Alex’s wife. Not only do hockey guys pass down traditions. So do the families and wives.”
Gretzky is still credited as holding more than 50 NHL records, but 894 goals no longer is among them. He’s not surprised.
“From the beginning, when I saw (Ovechkin) play in the World Juniors, I said, ‘Watch out for this young man,’” Gretzky said. “There’s three guys that played the game that played it physical, smart, intelligent and with finesse. It was Gordie Howe, Mark Messier and Ovi.”
(Photo of Alex Ovechkin; his wife, Anastasia Shubskaya; Wayne Gretzky; and his wife, Janet Jones: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
