After equaling the “Great One” with two goals at home on Friday, Alex Ovechkin overtook Wayne Gretzky on the NHL`s all-time goals list by scoring his 895th career goal on Sunday against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena.
Despite occurring on away ice, it was a momentous occasion. The NHL and Islanders paused the game for a full ceremony to honor the achievement of the Washington Capitals` most iconic player. Gretzky was present and delivered a short speech congratulating Ovechkin, the first of numerous prominent figures from the sports world and beyond to do so.
Shortly after Ovechkin established the new benchmark in goal scoring, the NHL compiled a 90-second video featuring congratulations from many legendary figures across sports and entertainment for this monumental milestone.
Unsurprisingly, numerous hockey legends such as Mark Messier, Sidney Crosby, Jeremy Roenick, Martin Brodeur, Sergey Federov, Marie-Philip Poulin, Hilary Knight, PK Subban, and Doc Emrick sent messages to “The Great Eight.” Other prominent Washington sports figures like Jayden Daniels, Elena Delle Donne, and Ryan Zimmerman also showed their appreciation for one of the greatest athletes in D.C. sports history.
The league also enlisted greats from other sports, including Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, Simone Biles, LeBron James, Roger Federer, Buster Posey, and Derek Jeter, to offer their congratulations. Additionally, figures from TV, music, and film like Steve Carrell, Snoop Dogg, Dave Coulier, Pat Monahan, Vince Vaughn, and Pat Sajak contributed.
This diverse group highlights Ovechkin`s significant impact and his standing not only among hockey`s elite but also within the broader sports world.
Elton Marrow