Wayne Gretzky reacts to Alex Ovechkin tying his NHL goals record: 'That's OK'

Wayne Gretzky began to travel Alex Ovechkin connected Friday nighttime amid his trek to surpassing The Great One arsenic the NHL's all-time starring goalscorer – the travel was astir done successful 1 day.

Needing 3 goals to surpass Gretzky, Ovechkin scored doubly to tie, and tried his darnedest to get a chapeau trick.

Nonetheless, Gretzky had been the solo person for implicit 31 years. But present helium has company, and soon enough, helium volition beryllium looking up for the archetypal clip successful a while.

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FILE: Canadian retired nonrecreational hockey subordinate Wayne Gretzky arrives for the inauguration ceremonial earlier Donald Trump is sworn successful arsenic the 47th US President successful the US Capitol Rotunda successful Washington, DC, connected January 20, 2025. (Saul Loeb-Pool via Imagn Images)

But Gretzky is much than astatine bid with his grounds being tied, and soon going down.

"That's OK… That's what the game's each about," Gretzky said to the Monumental Sports Network soon aft Ovechkin tied him.

"Alex has been large for the game, large for Washington, large for his location country. It's wonderful. I'm precise arrogant of him, I'm arrogant of what I accomplished, and that's what makes our crippled truthful wonderful, is the large athletes we have, and much importantly, the bully radical that they are."

Washington Capitals near helping Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates aft scoring a extremity during the archetypal play against the Philadelphia Flyers astatine Capital One Arena.  (Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images)

ALEX OVECHKIN ODDS: WHEN WILL HE BREAK WAYNE GRETZKY'S SCORING RECORD?

Gretzky became the NHL’s all-time goalscorer backmost connected March 23, 1994, erstwhile helium surpassed Gordie Howe with his 802nd vocation goal. He scored 92 much earlier hanging up the cleats successful 1999 to bring his full to 894.

Ovechkin lit the lamp conscionable 4 minutes into the crippled against the Chicago Blackhawks to inch arsenic adjacent arsenic helium could. Then, conscionable implicit 5 minutes into the 3rd period, the Capitals went connected a powerfulness play, and Ovechkin took advantage, taking a walk and squeaking it past goalie Spencer Knight.

Washington Capitals near helping Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates aft scoring a extremity against the Chicago Blackhawks successful the 3rd play astatine Capital One Arena. The extremity was the 894th of his career, tying Wayne Gretzky for astir all-time goals scored successful the NHL.  (Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)

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Ovechkin's adjacent accidental astatine the grounds volition beryllium connected Sunday successful New York against the Islanders, with the puck acceptable to driblet astatine 12:30 p.m. ET.

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