Alex Ovechkin accuses Gary Bettman of preventing him from breaking goal record

Despite the Washington Capitals' challenging 2023/24 season, Ovechkin's pursuit of Gretzky's record has been a key storyline. Having played in 61 fewer games than Gretzky, Ovechkin is now just 41 goals away from the record. He asserts that he would have already broken it if not for the lockouts and pandemic.

Considering Ovechkin's impressive goal-scoring rate, it's plausible he could have already surpassed Gretzky, given he missed over 70 games due to these interruptions. At his scoring pace, it's likely he would have exceeded the 41-goal deficit by now. With a few more years left in his career and barring any major injuries, Ovechkin is expected to break the record soon.

While not quite at Gretzky's level, Ovechkin stands out as one of the greatest goal scorers in history. Although not all obstacles were due to Gary Bettman, Ovechkin's frustration is understandable. With only 41 goals to go, he might not achieve this milestone in the 2024/25 season, but if he stays healthy, Gretzky's record is unlikely to last beyond two more years.

Source: Markerzone
Alex Ovechkin calls out Gary Bettman for screwing him out of the goal record