When Alex Ovechkin sets the NHL’s all-time scoring record, “The Great One” will be there. Wayne Gretzky will be part of a traveling caravan that will attend every Washington Capitals game until Ovechkin breaks the record, according to Chris Johnston of The Athletic.
Gretzky will be joined by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, as well as other league personnel, starting Wednesday, when the Capitals take on the Carolina Hurricanes. Bettman, Gretzky and Ovechkin’s wife Nastya will then attend every single remaining Capitals game until the record is broken.
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Ovechkin scored his 891st career goal in a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday. With the goal, Ovechkin sits three away from tying Gretzky, and four away from breaking Gretzky’s record.
Including Wednesday’s game, Ovechkin has eight games left to break the record. The Capitals will alternate between home and away games until the final two games of the season, which will be played on the road.
If Ovechkin breaks the record, the league will allow Capitals players to leave the bench and celebrate with him. There will also be a formal celebration and ceremony that will halt the game, per The Athletic. It doesn’t matter how much time is left in the contest, or if it has playoff implications, the league will halt play to celebrate Ovechkin’s record-breaking goal.
That approach is the same one the league took when Gretzky broke Gordie Howe’s record in 1994. The NHL halted the game for a 15-minute ceremony honoring Gretzky’s achievement. Howe and Bettman were in attendance when Gretzky set the scoring record.
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In addition to the traveling caravan, the NHL announced Tuesday it will have a camera dedicated to following Ovechkin during the remainder of his games this season. Roughly 10 additional cameras will be at each Capitals game to provide more angles and footage of the historic goal, per The Athletic.
Ovechkin, 39, was an immediate star as a rookie after the Capitals selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 NHL Draft. During his 20-year career — all of which has come with the Capitals — Ovechkin is a 12-time All-Star, and three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner. He also led the Capitals to their first-ever Stanley Cup championship in 2018.
Given his age, there were questions about whether Ovechkin would approach Gretzky’s record during the 2024-25 season. But the Capitals great stepped up his game in a major way. After scoring 31 goals in 79 games last year, Ovechkin already has 38 goals in just 58 games this season.
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