With each passing decade, elite athletes seem to become faster, stronger and, dare we say it, better. Performance improves and, consequently, records tumble. But some records seem otherworldly. No matter what future technological or scientific advancements may be made, they feel out of reach and unbreakable. Although that is what many thought of Wayne Gretzky’s…
President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia congratulated the hockey player Alex Ovechkin on Monday for breaking the N.H.L.’s goal-scoring record. Mr. Ovechkin, 39, captain of the Washington Capitals, scored his 895th career goal on Sunday evening in a game against the New York Islanders. That broke a record set by Wayne Gretzky that had stood…
WASHINGTON — Sometime soon — Sunday maybe, perhaps Thursday — Alex Ovechkin will reach the summit. In a career jammed with consequential goals, none will be remembered more than the next one. We’ll talk about it then, and we’ll do it in the grandest of terms, because that’s how it all works. To say he’s…
Years before it became obvious that Alex Ovechkin was going to smash the NHL’s all-time goals record, he had an unbroken five-season run leading the league in power-play goals. The 101 pucks he pumped home with the man advantage over that stretch, from 2012-13 to 2016-17, prompted opponents to significantly adjust how they gameplanned around…
Wayne Gretzky is about as revered as professional athletes get. Nobody’s posted more goals, assists or points than him — in a career or a single season. He owns the NHL’s longest point streak, has the most 100-point seasons, claimed the most scoring titles, scored the most shorthanded goals, was the quickest to 50 goals,…