Photo credit: Sportsnet

Alex Ovechkin could one day become the NHL’s most prolific goal scorer, but according to him, he should already have broken Wayne Gretzky’s record.

While the Washington Capitals 2023/24 season was a struggle for the most part, they did have one major storyline to watch out for, as captain Alex Ovechkin inched closer to Wayne Gretzky’s goal scoring record. Ovechkin has played in 61 less games than Gretzky in his career, and now sits just 41 goals back of the Great One, but according to the Capitals star, he would have already passed the record if not for Gary Bettman.

Alex Ovechkin says he would have already claimed the goal-scoring crown if not for the near two season’s of games he’s missed due to lockouts and the pandemic 💭

Given his prolific goal scoring record, it’s hard to deny the truth behind this statement, as Ovechkin has missed over 70 games due to the pandemic and the lockout season, and given the pace that he was on at the time, it’s a good bet that he would have had more than 41 goals. At his career pace, he likely would be past Gretzky by now, and with two or more years likely to be left in his career, he’s going to do so anyway barring a major injury.

While not the player Gretzky was, Ovechkin is easily the best goal scorer of all time, and now all he needs is the record to prove it, and while not all of this was Gary Bettman’s fault, it’s easy to see why Ovechkin has been frustrated. With just 41 goals to go, he may not get there in 2024/25, but if healthy, Gretzky’s record likely won’t stand for more than another two years.