Alex Ovechkin reveals the unlikely support he has received in the chase for Wayne Gretzky's record

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Tom Banks
October 25, 2024 (2:11 PM)

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Alex Ovechkin is closing in on Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal-scoring record, and now he has revealed that The Great One has been supporting him the whole way.

For the past 20 years, we have watched Alex Ovechkin thrill fans all over the world with his brilliant goal-scoring ability, with the Capitals captain notching 41 or more goals in 13 of his 19 NHL seasons. To pass Wayne Gretzky's goal-scoring record this season, he would need to hit that again, but at 39-years of age, it's certainly not going to be easy.

In the chase for Gretzky's record, there are some who want to see him hit that mark and some who don't out of nostalgia and love for Wayne Gretzky, but according to Ovechkin, Gretzky falls into the former category.

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.

According to Ovechkin, Gretzky has become one of his biggest supporters in recent years, and while there's some part of the Edmonton Oilers legend that likely doesn't want him to pass the record, he has shown his class time and time again. After notching three goals this season, the Capitals star sits just 39 goals back of passing the record, and while he had a slow year last year with just 31, it appears as though he still has enough gas left in the tank to hit the record sometime in 2025/26.

Unfortunately for Ovechkin, he would have likely passed the record already if not for one canceled season and one shortened one, but he has remained consistent throughout his career and now sits within reach. With the support of Gretzky himself and the entire NHL world who have watched Ovechkin grow over the years, confidence is high that one day, The Great 8 will pass the record of The Great One, and at that moment, incredible NHL history will be made.