"GR8TNESS," reported by ESPN's Kevin Weekes, includes historic footage, special access, and a series of exclusive sit-down interviews with Ovechkin himself, as well as the NHL all-time leading goal scorer Wayne Gretzky, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan, Capitals coach Peter Laviolette, and Ovechkin's teammates to provide the foundation for an on-ice perspective into the greatest goal scorer of a generation. The special also contains a roundtable discussion hosted by ESPN's John Buccigross with ESPN on NHL analyst Rick DiPietro reflecting upon the 37-year-old's illustrious career and future.
"We had great access to Alex Ovechkin for this project and were able to capture him as he continues to pursue a record that almost no one thought was approachable," said Andy Tennant, ESPN VP and Executive Producer, Original Content. "This is the story of arguably the greatest pure goal scorer ever-from his rivalry with superstar who entered the league the same day, Sidney Crosby, to his relationship with the man he is in pursuit of, Wayne Gretzky, to his impressive longevity. Viewers will come to understand how one of the all-time greats has approached his craft, what it takes, game after game, season after seasons-all the pressure, all the passion."
The show will debut on ABC nationally and will be available on cable and multiple platforms, including ESPN, ESPN+, E60 and Hulu. ESPN produced the show with additional content provided courtesy of Monumental Sports & Entertainment Productions.
"We are excited to support Alex and partner with ESPN and their award-winning production team to provide our fans with an amazing behind-the-scenes look at our captain as he continues to chase history," said Zach Leonsis, MSE President of Media and New Enterprises. "From the moment Alex has stepped onto the ice, we have witnessed history before our eyes, and we're confident ESPN and their industry-leading team will encapsulate that in this documentary."
The 37-year-old Ovechkin has recorded 32 goals in 52 games this season and is on pace to score 49. Should Ovechkin reach the 50-goal mark, it would mark his 10th career 50-goal season, passing Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy for the most in NHL history.
Ovechkin (812) now only trails Gretzky (894) for the most goals in NHL history. On December 13 against the Chicago Blackhawks, Ovechkin recorded his 29th career hat trick to become the third player in NHL history to reach the 800-goal mark. Ovechkin also holds many other records, including for the most power-play goals, most goals in road games, and most goals with the same team in NHL history.
Ovechkin, who was selected to his franchise-record 13th NHL All-Star Game, will be making his eighth career appearance at NHL All-Star festivities on Feb. 2-4 at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Fla. Ovechkin is the only player in NHL history to win a Stanley Cup, a Conn Smythe, a Calder, an Art Ross, a Hart, a Ted Lindsay, and a Maurice Richard Trophy.
