Gretzky believes “it’s just a matter of time” before Ovechkin breaks the NHL scoring record

ARLINGTON, Va. — Wayne Gretzky’s support could prove invaluable to Alex Ovechkin in his quest to match The Great One’s NHL record of 894 goals.

Ovechkin is 41 goals away from surpassing Gretzky, 854 ahead of the Washington Capitals’ game at the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Arena on Tuesday (6 p.m. ET; ESPN+, ESPN, SNW, SN1). He always appreciated Gretzky saying he was committed to breaking the record. However, it has more meaning the closer he gets to it.

“It’s great,” Ovechkin told NHL.com last week. “Even when I’m having a crisis, sometimes he texts me and says, ‘Don’t worry. It will come.’ He’s on my side.

After going scoreless in Washington’s first three games, Ovechkin scored on a deflected goal in Saturday’s 6-5 overtime win over the New Jersey Devils.

Gretzky, who retired in 1999 after 20 NHL seasons, has long believed Ovechkin has a good chance of breaking his scoring record. It’s become more real, Ovechkin has narrowed the gap between them in recent seasons and the 39-year-old left wing started this season within striking distance, needing 42 goals.

Although Ovechkin scored 31 goals last season – his lowest 82-game season output in his NHL career – he has scored at least 42 goals 13 times in his previous 19 NHL seasons, including most recently in the 2022-23 season ( 42). . And he finished last season strong, scoring 23 goals in his final 36 games, on a pace of 52 goals in 82 games.

Even if Ovechkin doesn’t break the record this season, Gretzky believes he’s so close now that it’s inevitable he’ll do it at some point.

“Oh yeah, of course,” Gretzky said last month. “It’s just a matter of time, whether it’s the end of this year or the beginning of next year, whenever. I mean, he’s a great player. He’s a great scorer.”

Ovechkin initially downplayed his chances of breaking the scoring record, saying in 2017: “I don’t think it’s possible. I’ve talked to Wayne and I don’t think these records can ever be broken.” As he continued to climb up the NHL target list, he began to believe more, telling NHL.com in 2019: “I’ll try , but you don’t know what will happen in the future.”

Ovechkin has remained cautious since he passed Gordie Howe for second place in NHL history with his 802nd goal on December 23, 2022, reminding himself that he still has a long way to go to reach 895.

“Of course it’s still 42 goals,” he said before this season. “I’m not getting younger, I’m getting older, but the most important thing is to stay healthy and do my job. I’m trying to score goals, trying to create something, playing physically and the most important thing is to win another trophy. “It’s not about the record.

Still, Ovechkin appreciates that Gretzky encouraged him to pursue the record and said he wanted to be there if he broke it.

“If that kind of person supports me, that’s a pretty cool thing,” Ovechkin said. “He is the best player out there and he is a great person. He supports me and that’s a pretty cool thing.”

Ovechkin said he hasn’t spoken to Gretzky yet about how to handle the pressure of chasing records, but he plans to use him as a resource. Gretzky, who passed Howe with No. 802 on March 23, 1994, when he played for the Los Angeles Kings, is the only one who would know what Ovechkin will go through as he approaches the record.

“I hope if it gets close, he will give me some advice,” Ovechkin said. “But not yet.”