The Great One told CNBC that he has nothing but respect for the guy who has the potential to overtake him in the near future, as Washington Capitals ace Alex Ovechkin approaches Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record.
Gretzky stated on CNBC’s Squawk Box on Thursday that Alex has been outstanding for our game. When he breaks the record, I want to be the first one to shake his hand.
All records have to expire, Gretzky continued.
He said, “That’s progress in our sport.”
Speaking to CNBC, Gretzky discussed how the sport he helped create is growing even more. According to CNBC’s Official Valuations, which were made public on Wednesday, the average NHL team is currently valued at around $2 billion.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told Squawk Box on Wednesday that the value of our game is growing.
With his quest for Gretzky’s record this season, Ovechkin, whose rivalry with fellow all-time great Sidney Crosby contributed to the sport’s rise in the 2010s, has increased interest.
On October 15, 1989, Gretzky broke Gordie Howe’s record as the NHL’s all-time top scorer with a game-winning goal in overtime.
With 26 goals left, Ovechkin, 35 years later, is getting close to surpassing Gretzky’s record of 894 goals. The team said on Thursday that Ovechkin will be sidelined for four to six weeks due to a broken left leg, thus the record is protected for a little while longer.
When he broke Howe’s all-time scoring mark, Gretzky told CNBC, he felt ashamed to break his idol’s record.
Gretzky claimed that in addition to being an exceptional player, he was also a gentleman.
Gretzky’s father warned him that one day someone would beat his record.
“Well, can I enjoy this for just a couple of days?” I asked my dad. Gretzky uttered.
Gretzky represented four different teams during his 20 seasons in the National Hockey League. He had 18 All-Star selections, four Stanley Cups, and 61 NHL records by the time he retired. The legendary hockey player, however, claimed he never gave a damn about the records.
I never listened to the records and gave them much thought. I had the good fortune to play in several fantastic cities and on some fantastic teams. “I always tell people that playing in the National Hockey League was a privilege and an honor,” Gretzky stated.
He claimed that his desire to be his best every night and his competitive nature were what motivated him.
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He went on to say, “I wanted to get three goals if I scored two that night.”
Gretzky praised Bettman, the team owners, and the players for improving the game as he watched Ovechkin get closer to a record that many believed would never be broken.
He went on to say, “I believe our game is bigger, stronger, and better today than it has ever been.”
According to Gretzky, young development is the key to expanding the game. He has teamed with YardRink, a small Massachusetts startup that lets people construct their own backyard rinks.
Gretzky claimed that his father helped him get started in the sport by building him a backyard rink when he was a little boy.
Giving children an opportunity to play is a major component of our strategy for developing and growing our game, he continued.
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