Wayne Gretzky, after having avoided the spotlight, speaks on the record pursuit of Alex Ovechkin

Athletics has live coverage of Alex Ovechkin Journey to beat Wayne Gretzky’s career goal record.

Washington – Wayne Gretzky played against Washington’s capital during his recruited season in 1979. CAPS, in their sixth NHL season, were still playing Landover, MD.

“We had around 7,000 people in the match,” said Gretzky. “People probably didn’t even know where Edmonton was in 1979.”

The atmosphere was a little different on Friday evening in Capital Onena, in the heart of DC, a delirious closed window crowds spilled into the arena in the hope of attending history while Alex Ovechkin continued his assault against the Gretzky goals record. When Ovechkin scored the 893rd goal of his career during his second quarter of work – drawing him in one of Gretzky’s career brand – the noise was deafening.

Gretzky was there to assist it, and he was there when Ovechkin scored the goal n ° 894 in the third period, equaling the record of Gretzky. He will follow Ovechkin until he broke the record – which will probably not take very long at this rate. Ovechkin scored in four consecutive games.

“(The NHL commissioner, Gary Bettman) and I spoke the other day, and Alex said:” Do not arrive here before arriving at two, “said Gretzky.” I thought (Thursday), “Gosh, we would better get on the plane and get up there because he could have three (Friday). When he marked four minutes later,” Oh, ” could leave after the first period. “”

Gretzky has launched the spotlight since his public support for Donald Trump and his subsequent silence on the President’s rhetoric and economic policies to Canada made him a controversial figure in his native country. But he was warmly welcomed in Washington, obtaining a standing ovation during a television period in the first period.

“Oh, that’s good,” he said. “Washington fans are nice. Hockey fans are nice, right?”

Gretzky, who was sitting between Bettman and Kash Patel, the director of the FBI recently appointed by Trump, did not discuss politics in his media melee on Friday.

He said it was important for him to be present when Ovechkin inevitably breaks his album, quoting “the integrity of the game” and naming legends Jean Béliveau, Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Mario Lemieux and Mark Messier as “transmit”. Howe was there when Gretzky scored his 802nd objective to become the new scoring king in 1994. Gretzky did not remember what Howe had told him that night other than: “I am proud of you.”

He joked by saying that when Ovechkin breaks his brand, he said: “Why did you do it?”

“It’s great for hockey,” he said. “I am so happy for the League. I am proud of Alex. When I broke Gordie’s record, my father said to me the same evening:” Be also proud of the guy who broke your record. “It’s so good for hockey.

Ovechkin’s first goal on Friday was his 40th of the season – his 14th 40 -goals campaign. When Gretzky was 38 years old, in his last season, he scored nine goals in 70 games. Gretzky said he had been known for years that Ovechkin would reach 895 and insisted that there was no bitterness to see one of his most sacred records fall.

“No, not at all, not at all,” he said. “Happy for Alex. My grandfather was Russian, he would be really happy that a Russian broke my record. So, good for Alex.”

(Photo: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)