Hall of Famer Endorses Capitals' Alex Ovechkin

Hall of Famers are speaking highly of Alex Ovechkin as the Washington Capitals captain hunts down an all-time NHL mark.

Nov 17, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) warms up before a game against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

It seems pretty clear at this point that Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is going to break Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record. A hat trick in the Capitals win over the Vegas Golden Knights put Ovechkin within 30 of the record, and is starting to answer a big question that was being asked entering the season.

Many wondered if the Ovechkin would be able to break the record this year while the Capitals weren’t expected to perform at a high level. Not only are the Capitals one of the top teams in the NHL, but Ovechkin is also on pace to crush Gretzky’s record.

Ovechkin’s goal-scoring has become must-see TV for hockey fans and even Hall of Famers are rooting cheering him on. In an interview with Responsible Gambler, newly minted Hockey Hall of Famer Jeremy Roenick believes Ovechkin can topple the record this season.

“The guy is the best goal-scorer I've ever seen,” Roenick said to rg.org. “He's the best goal-scorer in history. And if anybody can do it, he'll do it.”

Roenick admitted it will be tough for Ovechkin to keep up his pace, but he continues to make it look easy.

“He's done things that are just absolutely unmatched in terms of goal scoring.”

Roenick certainly knows a thing or two about goal-scoring since he picked up 513 over his 20-year NHL career. That’s good for fourth all-time among American-born players. He tacked on back-to-back 50-goal campaigns in the early 1990s with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Even at 39 years old, Ovechkin is still showing he has what it takes to score with the best of the best. He’s currently tied for the league lead in goals with 13 in just 17 games played.

With 11 goals in his last 10 games, Ovechkin is on a ridiculous pace that no one expected. Sure, it felt like a certainty that he would break Gretzky’s record eventually, but not many would have predicted this sort of pace from aged veteran.

Roenick puts it best when he calls Ovechkin “a freak of nature.”

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