D.C.'s Ovechkin overtakes Gretzky's record
The Washington Capitals left winger made history, scoring his 895th goal.
Whether it’s his now iconic on-ice belly flop (repeated for 895 cheering Arlington Public Schools students, no less) or his post-record celebration at his favorite Dupont Circle restaurant (a beer in each hand, Juicy J’s “Bandz a Make Her Dance” on the speakers), this week is all about the Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin – who made history last Sunday when he notched his 895th goal, surpassing Wayne Gretzky to become the NHL’s all-time leading scorer.
“I do think it’s worth it for the city to take a moment to appreciate what they have just witnessed,” Katie Adler told me on Wednesday. She’s the Capitals beat writer for Russian Machine Never Breaks, and was covering the home game when Ovechkin matched Gretsky’s record and was in New York when he broke it. “Sometimes in hockey there’s an impulse that when there’s a milestone people will want to deflect,” she said. “This is a big enough event … it’s worth taking time to recognize what he did on Sunday and what he did in his 20 years in Washington.”
(Shedrick Pelt)
The Capitals will have a formal ceremony for Ovechkin on Thursday ahead of the team’s home game at the Capital One Arena. On Friday, the team is hosting a public celebration at Union Station – which has been decked out with large banners celebrating the milestone. There’s also a new mural in Adams Morgan commemorating Ovechkin, and another at Union Market.
In terms of formal recognition, I’m told that Mayor Muriel Bowser is likely to issue a mayoral proclamation. She could choose to give him a key to the city, but he already got one back in 2008. (At the time he awesomely declared that he was “president this day in the city.”) I say we go all in with a Rocky-style statue of Ovi, albeit instead of arms raised in triumph, he’s belly-flopping.
