Over the next few years, it’s likely that NHL fans will witness a feat that was once thought unattainable by a professional athlete. That is breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record.
As the Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin goes after Gretzky's record, ESPN recently released a documentary about the star’s life in the sport.
Here are three things fans learned from ESPN’s Ovechkin documentary, Gr8tness.
#1 Alex Ovechkin’s impact on how scoring and speed are perceived in the NHL
The NHL, just like all sports, evolves and becomes better over time. Alex Ovechkin, like Connor McDavid, impacted the evolution of the sport as it was emerging from the late-90s' “Dead Puck era”.
Ovechkin burst onto the scene with unprecedented levels of speed and an aptitude for scoring goals. Slowly over time, teams began to prioritize getting faster players that were able to break the trap, rather than fitting into the trap mold.
#2 Alex Ovechkin doesn’t dwell on the close record
In the documentary, Ovechkin responds to NHL fans' anticipation of Wayne Gretzky's goal record possibly being broken. As he puts it, he likes to keep it as an “elephant in the room” when talking to people.
Two days before Christmas 2022, Ovechkin moved to second all-time in goals with 802, passing NHL legend Gordie Howe. Just after the 2023 All-Star break, Ovechkin sat 82 total goals away from Gretzky's record. If Ovechkin stays on his current pace, the record could be broken as soon as the 2024 trade deadline.
#3 Ovechkin has perfected the art of scoring
Like a batter in the MLB who may do “scientific” things to his bat in the hopes of bringing more hits, Alex Ovechkin has perfected the art of scoring. The documentary details how mindful the superstar is about stick length, lie, size, and curves to perfectly engineer the ultimate slap shot.
Although Ovechkin shares a lot about the process of crafting his equipment, he makes sure not to give everything away.
The ESPN documentary, Gr8tness, is streaming now on Disney+, ESPN+, and the ESPN App.