Aliaksei Protas addresses Alex Ovechkin passing up on a goal amid his hunt to break Wayne Gretzky's all-time scoring record

Aliaksei Protas scored his first NHL hat trick on Tuesday in the game against the Anaheim Ducks with Alex Ovechkin's kind gesture in the third period. Washington Capitals won the game 7-4 despite the Ducks' early lead.

Protas scored his first goal at 18:14 of the first period, tying the game 2-2. His second goal came at 4:57 of the third period, just 31 seconds after Anaheim tied it 3-3.

The final goal, which completed his hat trick, came with 17 seconds left. Ovechkin had a chance to score but passed it to Protas, who scored into an empty net. Ovechkin's gesture was commendable as he is just nine goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record. But instead of scoring the goal himself, Ovi wanted Protas to score his hat trick.

After the game, Protas talked about Ovechkin’s unselfish play.

“I just saw the eye contact with Ovi,” Protas said. “And with an unreal accomplishment coming up, he makes that play and how happy he is for me, that says everything about him as a teammate, and I’m happy to get it and move forward"

Protas’s goals helped Washington erase the Ducks' early lead, and the Capitals eventually secured the win. His second goal shifted momentum back to the Capitals after Anaheim’s equalizer.

Teemu Selanne shared his excitement for Alex Ovechkin’s record chase

Teemu Selanne looks forward to watching Alex Ovechkin move closer to Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goal record. Selanne, who scored 684 career goals, attended the Washington Capitals’ game on Tuesday.

Ovechkin needs nine more goals to break Gretzky’s record of 894. Selanne called it a special moment.

“I’m so excited,” Selanne said via NHL.com. “Now, something is going to happen that a lot of people thought was untouchable. People have no idea what kind of record we’re talking about right now. Even myself, I’m super excited... You see the hype and everybody around the team and the League, they can’t wait for when this is going to happen because this is something really special.”

Selanne praised Ovechkin’s consistency, noting that averaging 45 goals per season for 20 years is rare.

“I’m very happy for him,” Selanne said. “I’ve always liked him as a player and a person. He’s very energized, happy."

With 17 games left, Selanne believes Ovechkin will break the record much earlier.