As Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin approaches Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goalscoring record, the great told CNBC he’s excited about the player who could soon The players who will replace him have nothing but admiration.
“Alex was great in our game,” Gretzky said Thursday on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “I hope I’m the first one to shake his hand when he breaks the record.”
Gretzky added that all records must come to an end.
“This is progress for our sport,” he said.
Gretzky told CNBC that he played a key role in growing the sport into a larger business. The average NHL team is currently worth nearly $2 billion, according to official valuations released by CNBC on Wednesday.
“Our game is getting more and more valuable,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told “Squawk Box” on Wednesday.
Ovechkin’s rivalry with all-time great Sidney Crosby helped propel the sport’s growth in the 2010s, and his pursuit of Gretzky’s record is drawing even more attention this season.
On October 15, 1989, Gretzky scored the winning goal in overtime, surpassing Gordie Howe’s record and becoming the player with the most goals in NHL history.
35 years later, Ovechkin is on the verge of breaking Gretzky’s record of 894 goals with 26 goals to go. Tuesday, Capital announced Their captain will miss “week-to-week” after suffering a leg injury, but he is expected to return this season.
Gretzky told CNBC he was embarrassed to end his idol’s milestone when he broke Howe’s all-time scoring record.
“Not only is he a great player, but he’s a gentleman,” Gretzky said.
Gretzky’s father told him that one day someone would break his record.
“I looked at my dad and said, ‘Can I enjoy this for a few days?'” Gretzky said.
Gretzky played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League for four different teams. By the time he retired, he had accumulated 61 NHL recordsfour Stanley Cups and 18 All-Star selections. But the hockey star said he never cared about records.
“I’ve never played or thought about these records per se. I’ve been blessed to play on some great teams and in some great cities. I always tell people it’s an honor and a privilege to play in the National Hockey League. ,” Gretzky said.
He said he is driven by his competitive edge and desire to be the best he can be every night.
“If I scored two goals that night, I wanted to score three,” he added.
As Gretzky watched Ovechkin approach a record that many thought would never be broken, he praised Bettman, the owners and the players for making the game better.
“I think our game today was stronger, bigger and better than ever before,” he added.
Gretzky said the key to growing the sport is through youth development. He has been with Courtyard rinkis a small company in Massachusetts that allows families to build their own skating rink in their backyard.
Gretzky said his father built him a backyard rink when he was young, which helped him get started in the sport.
“When we talk about expanding and growing our games, giving kids the opportunity to play is an important part of it,” he added.
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