The Nice One is about to turn out to be the Second-Finest One.
Effectively, within the report books at the very least. As a result of with 9 extra targets, Alex Ovechkin will break Wayne Gretzky’s complete of 894, a mark as soon as thought-about untouchable.
However for Kings TV analyst Jim Fox, who performed with Gretzky and has watched Ovechkin since his rookie season with the Washington Capitals, that report is nothing however a quantity.
“Ovi will wind up with more goals,” he mentioned. “Wayne’s still the Great One.”
Ovechkin’s run on the report will cross by means of Southern California this week, with the Jap Convention-leading Capitals dealing with the Geese on Tuesday on the Honda Middle earlier than assembly the Kings on Thursday at Crypto.com Area. If Ovechkin, who ranks within the prime 5 within the NHL with 33 targets, continues scoring at his present tempo of two targets each three video games, he’ll break the report within the ultimate week of the common season.
And whereas that may make Ovechkin hockey’s all-time main scorer, Fox says Gretzky will stay the higher total participant.
“He’s got more assists than anyone else,” Fox mentioned of Gretzky’s 1,963 profession assists, greater than 700 higher than second-best mark. “If he hadn’t scored a goal, he would still lead [in points]. That’s where it overwhelms for me.
“Wayne will end up with the second-most goals ever and he’s not a shooter.”
Wayne Gretzky scores objective No. 802 to interrupt Gordie Howe’s report March 23, 1994.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Occasions)
Evaluating the 2 is somewhat like evaluating apples to oranges — or evaluating Babe Ruth with Barry Bonds. Though Gretzky retired simply six years earlier than Ovechkin’s debut, the eras during which they performed have been markedly completely different, which makes drawing equivalencies troublesome.
In Gretzky’s greatest season, 1981-82, groups averaged greater than 4 targets a sport for the one time since World Conflict II. In truth, the league averaged extra targets per sport in 15 of Gretzky’s 20 NHL seasons than it did in 2022-23, essentially the most offensive season of Ovechkin’s 20 years within the league. So whereas 15 gamers scored at the very least 69 targets in a season throughout Gretzky’s profession, it has occurred simply as soon as since.
And whereas Ovechkin topped 60 targets in a season as soon as, Gretzky did it 5 occasions.
“Ovi, for most of his career, has played against better goaltenders, no question,” mentioned Fox, who performed his ultimate NHL season alongside Gretzky.
But the 2 gamers’ profession scoring averages are equivalent at 0.6 targets per sport.
Gretzky, talking by means of an NHL spokesman, declined to speak concerning the report, saying he most popular the main target stay on Ovechkin. However Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper, who has performed each with and towards Ovechkin, mentioned there’s no secret what makes his former teammate so good.
“His shot is next level,” he mentioned. “It’s just kind of in a league of its own.”
Ovechkin places a spin on the puck that alters its trajectory. His stick additionally has a large open-spoon curve that enables him to flip the puck in order that it catches air reasonably than slicing it by means of it. When the puck is touring at 85 mph, it’ll react unpredictably.
“But it’s more than that,” Kuemper continued. “He’s so smart at knowing where to get to to score goals and how to get a shot off. You watch teams play against him and they try to sit a guy on him and he still manages to score all these goals.
“It’s pretty impressive, his intelligence.”
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin celebrates after scoring towards the Edmonton Oilers on Feb. 23 in Washington.
(Nick Wass / Related Press)
If Ovechkin is a unicorn on the ice, nevertheless, he makes some extent of mixing in off it.
“In the locker room, he’s just one of the guys,” Kuemper mentioned. “He’s just one of the guys on the plane wanting to play cards.”
He’s additionally been capable of keep wholesome, changing into the oldest participant to attain 50 targets in a season three years in the past when he was 36. After lacking 16 video games whereas recovering from a fractured fibula this winter, he’ll play fewer than 70 video games in a full season for the primary time in his profession.
That sturdiness is one other trait Ovechkin shares with Gretzky, who performed fewer than 65 video games in a full season simply twice.
However their variations could also be extra quite a few than their similarities, Fox mentioned. Ovechkin, particularly when he was youthful, was aggressive and bodily. He’s nonetheless sturdy and, after all, he has “that shot,” Fox mentioned, whereas Gretzky, who was three inches shorter and 53 kilos lighter at 6-feet, 185 kilos, “could think the game better than anyone.”
“Wayne could make a one-on-three [situation] more dangerous than a one-on-one because all of a sudden he gets one guy thinking about where he should be and then they’re bumping into each other,” Fox mentioned. “One year you have 92 goals and then the next 163 assists.
“So one year he said, ‘I’m going to score’ and the next year he said, ‘I’m going to pass.’ He could make that decision and then go on the ice and execute it where other guys are trying to get by.”
Gretzky additionally introduced hockey to a desert, popularizing it in Southern California, which paved the way in which for the NHL to increase to Miami, Tampa, Phoenix and Las Vegas, rising the league from 21 in his rookie season to 32 groups as we speak.
“The sports fan became a hockey fan. And that’s the difference,” Fox mentioned. “Wayne is very unique. He’s on an island in that way.”
So, data apart, does that make Gretzky the very best ever?
“No,” Fox answered. “I still think Bobby Orr is the greatest to ever play.”
