Alex Ovechkin still ‘can’t predict’ timeframe to surpass Wayne Gretzky’s ‘UNREALISTIC’ record in wake of 2023-24 regular season
Alex Ovechkin states that he is not sure when he’ll surpass the NHL legend’s record considering his age and health issues in the process.
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Wayne Gretzky and Alex Ovechkin [Image Credit: Winnipeg Free Pass/The Japan Times]
One of the most popular questions in the NHL is – when will Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin surpass NHL legend Wayne Gretzky? Ovechkin talks about his record chase with R-Sport as the 2023-24 regular season nears its beginning. Sometimes predictions can go wrong and here it seems the captain himself is unaware of the destined date and time.
Ovechkin stated that staying healthy and playing a solid game comes first as the team’s Stanley Cup contention is more important than focusing on goal chasing. Unfortunately in 2023 the captain and his team couldn’t make it into the playoffs, but it didn’t stop the fans from hyping ‘The Great Eight’ about his personal achievements.
With training season starting next month, the Washington Capitals captain is focusing on the team’s training as he confirms that “Everything is going according to plan.” Last season, Ovechkin missed 9 games due to upper and lower body ailments and is currently working to avoid unwanted injury this year. Health will be a crucial factor if ‘The Great Eight’ intends to cross Wayne Gretzky’s record.
As of now, he needs 73 more passes to cross ‘The Great One’. He scored 42 goals last season, recording 822 goals in total. Despite the hype surrounding Ovie and his NHL goals, the player himself is unsure of the goal. Everyone on his team including head coach Spencer Carbery stated how excited they are to help him reach his goal.
Related: When will ‘The Great Eight’ Alex Ovechkin reach 1,500 NHL career points?
Wayne Gretzky says he is Alex Ovechkin’s “biggest fan”
![Wayne Gretzky and Alex Ovechkin [Image Credit: Sportskeeda/Sporting News]](https://firstsportz.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Untitled-design-11-4-1024x768.png)
Alex Ovechkin said that he “can’t predict how long it will take” to reach Wayne Gretzky’s record. He further said that everyone starting from the last two years till now has always asked about the record crossing but he himself is not sure what to do. As of now, Ovie’s goal is to stay healthy and focus on capturing a Stanley Cup ticket.
‘The Great Eight’ even admitted that he once thought surpassing the NHL legend is an “unrealistic” dream. “I still doubt that it is possible, but I will make every effort to get to this number.” Gretzky has also encouraged him from the sidelines many times.
His support has highly encouraged Ovie, as he notes “Gretzky sincerely believes in me and expects it to happen.” ‘The Great One’ praised Ovie saying that this couldn’t have happened to any better player than Ovie chasing the dream. “There is no doubt that ultimately he will break the record,” Gretzky said as per Bleacher Report.
Gretzky also called himself the Capitals captain’s “biggest fan”, admitting that he sends supportive texts to Ovie prior to important matches. “He’s been great for hockey worldwide…he just has to be relaxed…but eventually he’s probably going to break the record.”
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Kaushani Chatterjee
(2143 Articles Published)