We all know that Wayne Gretzky is “The great one;” unquestionably. However, the hockey G.O.A.T. could very well see his great National Hockey League record soon fall. Chicago Blackhawks legend and former NHL on NBC Analyst Jeremy Roenick believes that Alexander Ovechkin could soon break Gretzky’s goals scored record.
The numbers seem to back up that claim too. However, we’re all going to need to take a pause on that, for the time being.
Alexander the Great scored twice on Monday, leaving him just 27 goals away from surpassing Gretzky’s all-time career total of 894. However, Ovechkin left the game with a broken fibula and he’s now out four to six weeks.
That pretty much rules out his chances of breaking the scoring record this season, unless he goes on an insanely scorching hot scoring streak when he gets back.
“The guy is the best goal-scorer I’ve ever seen,” Roenick said in an exclusive to RG. “He’s the best goal-scorer in history. And if anybody can do it, he’ll do it.”
“This season might be tough, but I will never say Alex Ovechkin can never do that.”
His chances are much better for next season, and it’s still looking quite probable that we’ll see the hockey version of Hank Aaron hitting home run #715, sometime in 2026.
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Ovechkin will be at least 39, maybe 40 by then, but so far he’s not showing his age at all. He’s got the goods to soon become the scoring champ.
And while Roenick is certainly at his best when he’s at his most candid, as he’s known for having a passionate, outspoken style, this is no hot take.
It’s not a controversial opinion that’s being expressed here by the recently enshrined Hockey Hall of Famer.
At all stages of his career, Roenick is a guy who has made great copy.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.