The Russian Ice hockey superstar Alexander Ovechkin Has managed to break a record that many experts thought for a long time: Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 goals in the regular season of the North American professional league NHL.
The Canadian ice hockey icon Gretzky, now 64 years old, had been hunted from 1979 to 1999 in the NHL. Ovechkin, who has been playing for Washington Capitals in the NHL since 2005, is now (as of April 7, 2025) at 895 goals. Curiously, both exceptional players needed exactly 1487 games for their torr record.
After he had set the new record, the 39 -year -old Russian, whom she calls “Great 8” because of his number number, reached numerous congratulations – from ice hockey, but also from all over the sports world. “You not only broken a record, but also cemented your place in history,” said former baseball professional Derek Jeter, five-time World Series winner. “I am very happy for you. I hope you keep the record forever,” said Tennis legend Roger Federer. Turn Olympic champion Simone Biles wrote briefly: “895 goals. Wow.” The basketball icons LeBron James and Michael Jordan also reported.
After the record goal against the New York Islanders, an honor took place on the ice, which excellent Gretzky personally congratulated in ex-record holder. The game was interrupted for more than 20 minutes. “To my mom, my family, my beautiful wife, my father -in -law, my wonderful kids: Thank you!” Said Ovechkin in his emotional thank -you speech. “I love you so much and without you I would never be here.”
Putin congratulates his supporter Ovechkin
But not all cheer on the record, because Ovechkin is only a left wing on the ice. Even more than three years after Vladimir Putin began his war of attack against neighboring Ukraine, Ovechkin has not yet changed his profile picture on Instagram.
It shows him with a smile next to the Russian president. In 2017, the ice hockey player launched a “Putin team” to support the president in his 2018 re-election campaign.
After the record, Putin himself also reported with a congratulations to Ovechkin: “This performance is not only her personal success, but also a real festival for fans in Russia and abroad,” he was cited in a declaration published by the Kremlin.
“Imagine an NHL player like Sidney Crosby [kanadischer NHL-Superstar – Anm. d. Red.] Would have the arm around Harvey Weinstein or Jeffrey Epstein on his profile picture on social media [prominente verurteilte US-Sexualstraftäter] laid. Can you imagine the outrage? The league would instruct him to extinguish the picture immediately. The reactions on social media would explode, “said Canadian ice hockey expert Paul Romanuk at the end of March in an interview with the DW.
“And yet you can still have this great ice hockey player side by side with a dictator who wages a war against an innocent country like Ukraine. And the NHL only shrugs its shoulders.”
Those responsible in the league had largely kept in terms of Putin – apart from an explanation that they had published in 2022 shortly after the Ukraine War.
“The National Hockey League condemns Russia’s invasion into Ukraine and urges the fastest possible peaceful solution,” said the league at the time. “With immediate effect, we expose our relationships with our business partners in Russia and let our activities rest on Russian-language social media channels and internet portals.”
At the same time, the league pressed its concern about “the well -being of the Russian players who play in the NHL for their clubs and not in the name of Russia”.
Ovechkin about Putin: “My President”
Ovechkin avoids commenting on the Russian attack war in Ukraine. The DW also received no answer to an inquiry, which was officially provided by the Washington Capitals. Only shortly after February 24, 2022, the day of the Russian invasion, he replied when asked by a reporter whether he still supported Putin: “Well, he is my president.”
Ovechkin refused to criticize Moscow’s Russian military campaign, but left it with a general peace appeal. “Please no longer war,” said the ice hockey professional. “It doesn’t matter who is in war – Russia, Ukraine or other countries.”
In a press report by the New York Times from 2022, it was assumed that Ovechkin did not change his Instagram profile image out of concern for his family living in Russia. Critics contradicted. There is no evidence that Putin retaliatory to families of athletes who are critical of the war.
Hall-of-fame member Hasek criticizes Ovechkin
Since then, it has become quiet in the North American media in terms of Ovechkin’s proximity to Putin. The reports about him were all about hunting gates and the record of Gretzkys. An absurdity, Dominik Hasek, former Czech national goalkeeper, found that played in the NHL for a long time and was included in the “Hockey Hall of Fame” in 2014.
“Russia commits the most terrible crimes, including a genocide of Ukrainian children,” Hasek wrote to the DW at the end of March. As a Russian citizen, Ovechkin is “a huge figurehead for the aggressive Russian war and other Russian crimes”.
The fans obviously see it differently. In a non-representative DW survey among North American ice hockey supporters, there was also unanimous support for Ovechkin at the end of March. According to the tenor, according to the tenor, which a fan got to the point: “As long as the NHL decides to celebrate ‘Great 8’ for his achievements, we should do it.
In advance, ex-goalkeeper Star Hasek and ice hockey expert Romanuk had also announced not to cheer. “Then I would advertise a war that costs a large number of lives,” said Hasek.
“The ice hockey fan in me admires Ovechkin’s achievements as a player. I think he is the best pure goal scorer in the history of the game,” said Romanuk. “But I have no respect for this man, his political views and in front of the people with whom he is together.”
This article was made from the English original “Ovechkin Set for NHL Goal Record But Putin Link Casts Shadow” adapted and updated on April 7, 2025.