The videoconference with the participation of Alexander Ovechkin and Wayne Gretzky attracted great attention not only of hockey fans, but also of sports in general. If the Canadian rightfully bears the title of one of the greatest representatives of the sport and reigned in the NHL in the last two and a half decades of the 20th century, then the Russian actually took over from him in the mid-2000s.
The excitement surrounding the communication of the two stars was also explained by the fact that at the moment only the leader of Washington retains the chances to surpass one of the Great records. The Russian striker is the only active player in the National Hockey League, who managed to score more than 700 goals in his career, and he may well squeeze his colleague from the first line.
Given the circumstances in which the conversation took place (both heroes and correspondent Katherine Tappen communicated via video link), the athletes could not help but answer the question about the coronavirus pandemic. Largely because of this, their communication in a similar format became possible at the end of April. Otherwise, Ovechkin could hardly have taken part in such an action, because he would have fought for the victory in the Stanley Cup.
Gretzky expressed the opinion that at present the best step would be to follow the recommendations of doctors and the government and minimize home exits to the maximum. Alexander agreed with him, but noted that he continues to keep himself in shape, despite the current situation.
As the Russian said, at the time of the video conference, a physical training coach was in his house in Washington, with whom he subsequently had to conduct a lesson in the fresh air.
During the conversation, they also talked about the first meeting of Ovechkin and Gretzky. Despite the fact that the Russian has been playing in the league since 2005, they managed to thoroughly communicate only a few years ago. They met in families at a restaurant in Malibu.
“I had so many questions for him: about the time when he played, and about what hockey was then. It was very cool. My wife and I met his family and were shocked at how nice they were all. As a child, I wanted to shake his hand someday, and even now talking with Wayne over the phone is a huge privilege for me, ”the Capitals leader admitted.
That conversation made a lasting impression not only on the Russian, but also on the Canadian. So, Wayne was surprised that Alexander did not primarily talk about his goals, achievements and successes, but rather asked for advice from him. In particular, about how to be the leader of Washington and help the team win the Stanley Cup for the first time in history. According to him, it was on that day that Gretzky realized that sooner or later Ovechkin would achieve his goal and become the owner of the coveted trophy.
As Alexander admitted, he was trying to understand how he could help Washington interrupt an unsuccessful series of appearances in the Stanley Cup. From 2005 until the meeting, the team qualified for the playoffs nine times, but have never been able to overcome the barrier of the second round. Judging by the words of Ovechkin and the success of the Capitals in the 2017/18 season, Wayne gave him valuable advice.
One of the main topics of the conversation was Ovechkin’s pursuit of Gretzky’s record for the number of goals scored in his career in the NHL regular season. It would seem that Wayne himself should be interested in ensuring that his achievement remains untouched, but he assured that he wished Alexander every success on the ice.
“Our game was lucky to have guys like Alex and Sidney Crosby. They are not only worthy ambassadors of their cities and hockey clubs, but also of countries. Sidney and I are proud to be Canadians, and Alex is that he is from Russia. And always the first in line to play at the World Cup and the Olympics. And I cannot deny myself rooting for him. I watch a lot of his games, almost every match. I want him to score. I am convinced that this is good for hockey, ”Gretzky admitted.
Wayne himself was at the top of the NHL snipers rating on March 23, 1994, when he surpassed Detroit striker achievement Gordy Howe. That day, he hit the gates of Vancouver and chalked up the 802 goal in his career. Nevertheless, his father told him that one day his record would also be broken and wished to behave as dignified as the legendary “Mr. Hockey” did.
“And I hope I can. That I will be the first guy to shake his hand (Ovechkin. - RT ) when he breaks my record. I have no doubt that he has a great chance to do it. He plays in a good team, with good partners. And, more importantly, Alex works at full strength every night ... Therefore, I’m sure that for all hockey it will be a great day when he finally gets this record, ”Gretzky admitted.
The Canadian admitted that if the Russians really manage to score more than 894 goals in a career, he hopes to get a stick from him as a gift. Recently, Ovechkin himself said that after winning the Stanley Cup, Gretzky sent him the promised inventory item, which greatly pleased the captain of Washington.
At the same time, Wayne said that he originally wanted to give Alexander a club, which he scored his 808th puck in his career. This would be symbolic, given the fact that Ovechkin spent his entire career in the NHL under the eighth number. However, it turned out that she was already in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
“Therefore, I found number 807 - the one with which I scored the 807th goal in my career. I remember that I didn’t want to part with such things, but I was glad that I was sending it to him. And even proud that he himself asked her, ”said Gretzky.
In the context of the goal record, the question of the completion of Ovechkin's career could not be ignored. In September, he will turn 35 years old, and at that age many athletes are already thinking thoroughly about stopping performances.
"We will see. I have another year of contract after this season. I am healthy and still enjoy the game. As soon as I stop, I won’t cheat hockey. I don’t want to become someone who takes someone’s place, ”said Ovechkin.
For Ovechkin, one of the most stressful moments of this season came in mid-February. Forward “Washington” reached the mark of 698 goals, after which he could not distinguish himself for five games in a row. At the same time, even team mentor Todd Reyrden noted that during this period Alexander experienced tremendous pressure from the media and was very worried about the drought caused by the goal. At that moment, Gretzky wrote to him, who shared his experience with him.
Ovechkin also admitted that it was really hard for him to ignore the fact that two accurate throws would allow him to become a member of the "Club 700". At the same time, they did not succeed in making them, which further upset him.
“Even my wife told me:“ You play at home, you have to score. ” Every time I had a puck, but I could not score, I reproached myself ... There was definitely pressure. But my partners took me to a throw, created moments. Everyone knew this would happen. When this happened, the burden fell from the shoulders, ”admitted Ovechkin.
Subsequently, Gretzky himself acted as an interviewer and asked Ovechkin with whom of the legendary hockey players of the past and present he would like to be on the same bench in the locker room and chat. In addition to Wayne himself, Alexander named compatriot Sergei Fedorov and Canadian Mario Lemieux. At the same time, the former Rangers striker was very surprised by this answer.
“It seemed to me that you would choose a couple of players from the distant past. I once said that Alexander Yakushev was considered one of the best players we saw. Mark Messier and I simply idolized him. Considered him the best hockey player of those who played outside of North America. Glad you chose Sergey. He is a wonderful guy. And Mario is one of the greatest, ”said Gretzky, in turn noting Jean Beliveau and Gordy Howe.
In response, Ovechkin asked for advice on how to keep fit in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, because he does not have the opportunity to practice at the rink and work on most aspects of hockey skill.
“I would try to do something close to hockey. I found a couple of inline skates and would ride them around as much as possible. Throwing or owning a stick will never go away from you ... But the skating swing leaves quickly, ”Wayne said.