There are some records that seem insurmountable, and in the game of hockey a lot of those belong to one man – Wayne Gretzky.
One of those records is points (2,857 total points), with Jaromir Jagr just recently becoming the 2nd all-time (in his mid-40’s), and even then he’s still almost 1,000 points behind (1,888 total points). One that previously seemed insurmountable but recently has seemed a little more catchable is goals.
Gretzky’s total is 894, with second place belonging to Gordie Howe (801) and third to Jaromir Jagr (766). Both played a ridiculous amount of games, which likely helped them even come close, but the Great One’s choke hold was still pretty tight.
There is one man that may catch him, the recent Stanley Cup Champion Alex Ovechkin.
Ovi currently sits at 658 goals, which means he’s still 237 tallies shy of overtaking Gretzky. That’s still a huge ask for a 33-year-old, but given the way he’s still playing it’s not unthinkable. While denying that it’s possible for years, Ovi finally shed a little optimism on the possibility.
As for Gretzky, he’s always had belief that the Great 8 could do it. The following quote taken from NHL.com on March 19 shows that perfectly.
"He's got a chance to do it," Gretzky said on NHL Network on March 19. "He's a good athlete, he plays in a great organization, he plays with good players, which you have to do, and there's no question he has a legitimate chance. Good for him. … If he does, I'll be the first guy to shake his hand. I think it's great for the game."
In order to catch Gretz, Ovi will have to keep scoring consistently while staying healthy. He’ll also have to play in his late 30s or 40s to do so. Only time will tell!
(H/T NHL.com)
