Wayne Gretzky caps off Ryan Leonard's special night with postgame locker room exchange

Rookie Ryan Leonard picked up his first career NHL goal on an empty net in the Washington Capitals' 5-3 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night. The goal came amid Alex Ovechkin scoring his 893rd and 894th goals to tie Wayne Gretzky for the most goals in NHL history.

After the game, Gretzky was in the locker room to congratulate Ovechkin on the historic milestone.

He also took a moment to seek out the rookie Leonard and offer congratulations on his special night as well.

"The kid that scored on the empty net, where is he?" Gretzky asked. Upon seeing Leonard, he approached him and said, "That was a tough decision, wasn't it? Do I go around the net?

"Congratulations on your first goal. 895 more, you can pass him (Ovechkin)," he added with a smile.

This was only Leonard's third NHL game after recently turning pro from Boston College. The first-round pick by the Capitals in 2023 was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey's top player after a stellar junior season.

Leonard was humbled by the interaction with the Great One on a night he'll never forget.

“It’s cool to score an empty-netter, but at the end of the day, I witnessed history tonight. It’s cool to score your first but that guy’s scored a lot of goals, so I think it’s even cooler,” Leonard said.

He racked up 30 goals and 49 points during his season at Boston College.

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Ryan Leonard’s "pretty cool" experience signing with Capitals

Ryan Leonard was in the Boston College locker room, moments from signing his entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals when he received a surprising text from Alex Ovechkin.

"I read it in the locker room, all the guys were in there. It was probably 5, 10 minutes before I actually signed. They're like, 'What? I don't know if you should respond to that.' I was like, 'I kind of have to.' But it was pretty cool," Leonard said Tuesday. (per NHL.com)

After signing, Leonard went out for sushi with Ovechkin and some other new teammates. He was eager to spend time with one of the NHL's all-time greats and embrace the moment.

Leonard inked a three-year entry-level deal worth an average of $950,000 per year. Less than a day later, he was already in the locker room gearing up for his first NHL morning skate.