As Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin closes in on Wayne Gretzky’s all-time scoring document, the Nice One informed CNBC he has nothing however admiration for the participant who may quickly dethrone him.
“Alex has been excellent for our recreation,” Gretzky mentioned on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Thursday. “I hope to be the primary particular person to shake his hand when he breaks the document.”
Gretzky added that each one recordings must be stopped.
“That is progress in our sport,” he mentioned.
Gretzky spoke to CNBC as the game he performed a key function in constructing turns into a good larger enterprise. The common NHL staff is now value almost $2 billion in response to CNBC Official Ratings launched on Wednesday.
“Our recreation is changing into extra invaluable,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman informed “Squawk Field” on Wednesday.
Ovechkin, whose all-time rivalry with teammate Sidney Crosby helped develop the game in 2010, has created extra intrigue this season along with his pursuit of Gretzky’s document.
Gretzky made historical past because the NHL’s all-time main scorer March 23, 1994surpassing Gordie Howe’s document.
Thirty years later, Ovechkin is closing in on bettering Gretzky’s document of 894 objectives with 26 extra to go. On Tuesday, Capitals announced their captain will likely be out “week to week” after selecting up a leg damage however is anticipated to return this season.
Gretzky informed CNBC that on the time he broke Howe’s all-time hitting streak, he felt uncomfortable ending his idol’s milestone.
“He was not solely such a terrific participant, however such a gentleman,” Gretzky mentioned.
Gretzky’s father informed him that someday somebody would break his document.
“I checked out my dad and mentioned, ‘Can I simply get pleasure from this for a number of days?'” Gretzky mentioned.
Gretzky performed 20 seasons within the Nationwide Hockey League for 4 totally different groups. By the point he retired, he gathered 61 NHL records4 Stanley Cups and 18 All-Star appearances. However the hockey nice mentioned he by no means cared about data.
“I’ve by no means performed and thought in regards to the data themselves. I have been lucky sufficient to play on some nice groups and in some nice cities. I at all times inform folks it is an honor and a privilege to play within the Nationwide Hockey League,” Gretzky mentioned.
He mentioned his aggressive streak and need to be one of the best each night time drove him.
“If I scored two objectives tonight, I wished to get three,” he added.
As he watched Ovechkin shut in on a document that many may by no means match, Gretzky praised Bettman, the staff’s house owners and the gamers for making the sport higher.
“I believe our recreation is stronger, larger and higher at the moment than it is ever been,” he added.
Gretzky mentioned the important thing to rising the sport is thru the event of younger folks. He partnered with YardRinka small firm in Massachusetts that permits households to construct their very own slides of their yard.
Gretzky mentioned his personal father constructed him a rink within the yard when he was younger, which helped get him into the game.
“Once we speak about increasing and rising our recreation, giving children an opportunity to play is an enormous a part of that,” he added.
