Alex Ovechkin poised to smash Gretzky’s record
Ovechkin is an NHL forward, currently playing for the Washington Capitals. The Russian-born player is already one of the top goal-scorers of all time and is on the cusp of going to the very top. Not once, but twice Ovechkin has won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player. When you witness some of his creative gameplay, there’s little wonder why.
We’re going to take on some expert opinions on how Ovechkin has performed to date, as well as his likelihood of smashing the goal-scoring record held by Gretzky. We’re also going to be taking a brief look at his career and what has led him to the dizzy heights that he’s at now.
Will Ovechkin be the highest goal scorer of all time? Brett Hull thinks so
Can you imagine NHL picks with players such as Ovechkin as he was in the early days? To be fair, he’s only got better with time, and that’s why NHL legend Brett Hull is sure that he’s set to break through the record held by Gretzky. As Hull says, “Usually consistency is a guy getting 20 or 25 goals for six or seven seasons. Well, this guys been getting 50 goals for 18 years”.
With 741 goals of his own, Hull knows just what it takes to be one of the best, and he has no doubt that Ovechkin can carry on and go even further. Hull points out that Ovechkin needs just 80 more goals to break the record and this is something that he can breeze through in two seasons tops. In Hull’s words, Ovechkin is, “Unstoppable”.
The early years of an NHL master
Alex Ovechkin was born in Moscow, Russia. Entering the world in 1985, he found himself part of an extremely sporty, and competitive family. Not only did he have a father as a professional footballer, but he also had a mother who had taken Olympic Gold in basketball and a brother who was a championship wrestler.
While Alex would choose his own sport and his own route, there’s no doubt that being part of such a competitive, and successful, family helped him on his way.
Ovechkin – the NHL star
Ovechkin was drafted as the number 1 pick back in the 2004 draft. Frustratingly, he didn’t get to take to the ice straight away. A player lockout saw the season being cancelled and Ovechkin having to wait. While waiting, he chose to stay in Russia and pay for the Dynamo.
It was the following year that Ovechkin would feature as the NHL’s new boy. However, the lockout meant that there was also another number 1 pick on board – Sidney Crosby. This didn’t phase Ovechkin as he outscored Crosby and bagged the Rookie of the Year Award.
Back in 2010, he was named captain of the Washington Capitals and he also scored his 300th goal. Some 500 goals later, Ovechkin is still going strong, and set to be the top NHL goal scorer ever. If Hull is correct, we won’t have long to wait.
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