ARLINGTON, Va. -- Wayne Gretzky's support could prove invaluable to Alex Ovechkin in his pursuit of The Great One's NHL record of 894 goals.
Ovechkin is 41 goals away from surpassing Gretzky with 854 heading into the Washington Capitals' visit to the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Arena on Tuesday. He has always appreciated that Gretzky said he is rooting for him to break the record. It has more meaning, though, the closer he gets to it.
"It's great," Ovechkin told NHL.com last week. "Even when I have a slump, he will sometimes text me and say, 'Don't worry about it. It will come.' He's on my side."
After being held without a goal in Washington's first three games, Ovechkin scored on a deflection in a 6-5 overtime victory against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.
Gretzky, who retired in 1999 after 20 NHL seasons, has long contended that Ovechkin has a good chance to break his goal record. It's become more real, Ovechkin has narrowed the gap between them in recent seasons and the 39-year-old left wing began this season within striking distance, needing 42 goals.
Although Ovechkin scored 31 goals last season -- his lowest output in an 82-game season of his NHL career -- he has scored at least 42 goals 13 times in his previous 19 NHL seasons, including as recently at 2022-23 (42). And he finished strong last season, scoring 23 goals in his final 36 games, a 52-goal pace over 82 games.
Even if Ovechkin doesn't break the record this season, Gretzky believes he's close enough now that it's inevitable that he'll do it eventually.
"Oh yeah, of course," Gretzky said last month. "It's just a matter of time, whether it's late this year, early next year, whenever. I mean, he's a great player. He's a great goal scorer."
Ovechkin initially downplayed his chances of breaking the goal record, saying in 2017, "I don't think that's possible. I talked to Wayne, and I don't think those records can ever be beaten." As he continued to climb the NHL goal list, he started to believe more and told NHL.com in 2019, "I'm going to try to do it, but you don't know what's going to happen in the future."
Ovechkin has remained cautious since passing Gordie Howe for second in NHL history by scoring his 802nd goal Dec. 23, 2022, repeatedly reminding that he has a long way to go to get to 895.
"Obviously, it's still 42 goals," he said before this season. "I'm not getting younger, I'm getting older, but the most important thing is to stay healthy and do my job. I try to score goals, try to create, play physical and the most important thing is win another Cup. It's not about the record."
Still, Ovechkin values that Gretzky has encouraged him to chase the record and has said he wants to be there when he breaks it.
"If that kind of person is rooting for me, it's pretty cool stuff," Ovechkin said. "He's the best player out there and he's a great human. He supports me and it's a pretty cool thing."
Ovechkin said he hasn't talked with Gretzky yet about how to handle the pressure of the record chase but plans to use him as resource. Gretzky, who passed Howe by scoring No. 802 on March 23, 1994, while playing for the Los Angeles Kings, is the only one who would know what Ovechkin will go through as he approaches the record.
"I hope when it's going to be close, he'll give me some advice," Ovechkin said. "But not yet."
