On Sunday, Alexander Ovechkin made history by surpassing Wayne Gretzky as the NHL’s all-time leading scorer, a moment that seemed unimaginable just a few years ago.
The Washington Capitals superstar scored his 895th goal during a 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders, officially breaking Gretzky’s record that had stood for an impressive 31 years.
After the goal, the game was briefly paused to allow Ovechkin to receive congratulations on the ice from none other than Gretzky himself.
The legendary former player, who held the record for so long, expressed his awe, saying, “They say records are made to be broken, but I’m not sure who’s going to get more goals than that.”
Ovechkin’s 2016 Prediction and the Impossible Feat
Interestingly, Ovechkin had once predicted it would be impossible to break Gretzky’s record.
Back in 2016, when asked by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman about the possibility of surpassing Gretzky’s goals, Ovechkin responded with certainty.
“I don’t think somebody is going to beat this record in this league. I think it’s impossible,” he said at the time.
Friedman, however, believed Ovechkin could at least challenge the record.
To which Ovechkin countered, saying, “I have to have six seasons of 50 goals. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to skate in six seasons.”
But as history shows, Ovechkin did not need those six 50-goal seasons to break the record.
He only hit the 50-goal mark twice since that conversation, yet he still achieved the feat in a manner no one expected.
Ovechkin’s Resilience and Doubts Along the Way
Even after his 2016 prediction, Ovechkin continued to express doubts about surpassing Gretzky’s record.
In 2018, he told Russian journalist Igor Eronko, “I don’t think it’s possible to beat that record.
You have to play till you’re 60. Jagr tried but couldn’t. Hockey isn’t the same.
Everything is much more difficult now. To beat the record, I have to score 50 each year. It’s hard.”
Despite these doubts, Ovechkin proved everyone wrong, pushing past the record in spectacular fashion on Sunday.
His achievement comes after many years of perseverance and defying the odds.
A Heartfelt Celebration and Thank You
After breaking the record, Ovechkin took the microphone from Gretzky in a symbolic moment, acknowledging the passing of the torch from one legend to another.
He expressed gratitude for the support of his family, teammates, and fans.
“We did it, boys. We did it,” Ovechkin said. “And the most important thing, to my mom, my family, my beautiful wife, my father-in-law, my beautiful kids, thank you.
I love you so much, and without you, without your support, I would never stand here.”
In this heartfelt speech, Ovechkin not only celebrated his personal milestone but also gave thanks to those who helped him along the way, especially his close-knit family and the teammates who stood by him throughout his journey.
