Even though Wayne Gretzky knew this moment was all but guaranteed for weeks now, that doesn't mean he had to feel good about Alex Ovechkin tying his all-time goals record on Friday night.
The Great One was sitting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and FBI director Kash Patel at Capital One Arena in Washington as Ovi scored his 894th career goal in a 5-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Pretty soon after the record-tying goal, Gretzky was asked to discuss the historic moment on live TV. While he sure said all the right things about sharing the torch (for now), he still sounded a bit down about it all.
That's not really too surprising, either.
Until the last few years, it was conventional wisdom that no one would touch Gretzky's records — especially as goaltending styles continued to improve.
"I hope he does it tonight... He deserves to do it in front of these fans." ❤️
— NHL (@NHL) April 5, 2025
Wayne Gretzky couldn't be happier for Alex Ovechkin tying his record. #Gr8Chase
🇺🇸: @NHLNetwork
🇨🇦: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctFpic.twitter.com/KdVBvtwpxz
It turns out the Capitals star was able to catch Gretzky in exactly one fewer game played. Ovechkin got to 894 in 1,486 games. Gretzky needed 1,487 to set that bar. Regardless, it just can't be fun to watch yourself lose one of sport's great records up close and personal, let alone watch it at all.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Wayne Gretzky congratulates Alex Ovechkin for tying his goals record
