The UBS Arena erupted in cheers and celebrations as history was made. Alex Ovechkin netted his 895th career goal, marking a moment of sheer excitement and disbelief. The Gr8 Chase has reached its conclusion, and now Ovi ascends to the throne once occupied by Wayne Gretzky, who held it for decades. It is evident that the Russian hockey star’s career is far from finished, with many games still ahead. So, how did he score this momentous goal?

With a sharp eye on the ice, he executed a precise shot during the power play in the second period at 7:26, finding the back of the New York Islanders’ net, past Ilya Sorokin. Ovechkin quickly skated away and belly flopped onto the ice before getting back up and immediately being swarmed by the hordes of teammates rushing to celebrate their captain.

Naturally, this historic achievement garnered global recognition, with many high-profile figures extending their congratulations to Ovi for his success. On X, the NHL’s official account shared a video featuring several big-name athletes, prominently led by Michael Jordan and Simone Biles. Both legends in their own right turned their focus to the hockey icon, Alex Ovechkin.

“895 goals. Wow,” remarked Simone Biles. She’s no stranger to moments that make you go wow herself with her remarkable haul of 11 Olympic medals (7 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze) and 30 World Championship medals, including 23 gold. In a similar vein, Michael Jordan extended his congratulations, saying, “Hi, Alex. Congratulations. Quite a record to break.”

Jordan wasn’t the only basketball star to congratulate Alex Ovechkin, with LeBron James also joining in. “To the Great 8, congratulations. Salute to you, brother.” But the list doesn’t end there. The legendary Michael Phelps also chimed in with, “What’s up, Ovi? Number 1, let’s go! Congrats!” And Roger Federer hoped the new record would never be broken. “I’m very happy for you. I hope you can hold the record forever.”

The video featured a whole range of athletes and celebrities with heartfelt messages for Alex Ovechkin. Numerous notable personalities were included, such as Sidney Crosby, Derek Jeter, Steve Carell, Snoop Dogg, and Danny DeVito, among others. The list is bound to be extensive if we begin to name everyone featured, so have a watch to know who all the well-wishers are. However, this moment is something that only the Great One foresaw long ago.

Wayne Gretzky’s perception of Alex Ovechkin

Wayne Gretzky has repeatedly voiced his admiration and backing for Alex Ovechkin as he chases the NHL all-time goals record. Five months before Ovechkin shattered the record, Gretzky commented, “Oh yeah, of course. It’s just a matter of time, whether it’s late this year, early next year, whenever. I mean, he’s a great player. He’s a great goal scorer.”

This statement underscored the recognition from the Great One regarding the certainty of Ovechkin eclipsing his milestone. What did Ovi say about this a few years back? “I don’t think that’s possible. I talked to Wayne, and I don’t think those records can ever be beaten,” stated the Caps captain in 2017. It’s quite surprising, isn’t it? This was indeed achievable!

As Alex Ovechkin matched his record with his 894th goal, Gretzky, in attendance, remarked, “This is what the game is all about. Alex has been great for the game, great for Washington, great for his own country. It’s wonderful. I’m very proud of him. I’m proud of what I accomplished and that’s what makes our game so wonderful, the great athletes that we have and the wonderful people that they are.”

Absolutely nothing but admiration! As Ovechkin netted his 895th goal, securing his place as the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, Gretzky made his way onto the ice to extend his personal congratulations, underscoring the deep mutual respect shared between these two hockey icons. “Is a thousand a possibility?” asked Michal Phelps at the end of the congratulatory video. With Alex Ovechkin, it just might be.