Trump lauds ‘great’ Ovechkin
The US president has praised Russian hockey star Alexander Ovechkin following his achievement of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goals record on Sunday. Ovechkin, a 39-year-old forward for the Washington Capitals, reached this significant...
TroibNews 
The US president has praised Russian hockey star Alexander Ovechkin following his achievement of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goals record on Sunday.
Ovechkin, a 39-year-old forward for the Washington Capitals, reached this significant milestone during a game against the New York Islanders, overtaking Gretzky’s long-held mark of 894 goals.
“Great hockey player, a great gentleman just broke the record of Wayne Gretzky. The great one is Wayne Gretzky, but we have another great one, huh? Just broke the record, it was great,” said President Donald Trump on Tuesday.
Gretzky, widely regarded as the greatest hockey player ever, scored 894 goals over 1,487 games. Ovechkin equaled this record in his 1,486th game and then surpassed it by scoring his 895th goal in the subsequent game.
The record-breaking moment came at 12:34 of the second period against the Islanders when Ovechkin received a pass from Tom Wilson and scored against fellow Russian goaltender Ilya Sorokin—marking Ovechkin’s first goal against Sorokin. In celebration of this achievement, play was halted, and Ovechkin received accolades from both NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Wayne Gretzky.
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Ovechkin on Monday, recognizing his “outstanding achievement.” He stated, “You have surpassed legendary players in the number of goals scored in regular-season NHL games,” and added that the breaking of Gretzky’s record is “not just a personal triumph, but a true celebration for fans in Russia and around the world.”
Ovechkin is a three-time world champion with the Russian national team and was part of the Washington Capitals when they won the Stanley Cup in 2018, the only NHL team he has represented throughout his career.
Earlier this week, the Russian embassy in the US remarked that “literally all of America” had come together in support of Ovechkin’s quest to break Gretzky’s record, leading to an increased interest in organizing matches between Russian and North American teams.
During a phone call on March 18, Putin and Trump discussed hockey and explored the possibility of arranging games between players from the NHL and KHL. With international sanctions sidelining Russia from many competitions due to the Ukraine conflict, the NHL remains a prominent venue for Russian players to demonstrate the strength of their nation’s hockey legacy.
Rohan Mehta for TROIB News
Ovechkin, a 39-year-old forward for the Washington Capitals, reached this significant milestone during a game against the New York Islanders, overtaking Gretzky’s long-held mark of 894 goals.
“Great hockey player, a great gentleman just broke the record of Wayne Gretzky. The great one is Wayne Gretzky, but we have another great one, huh? Just broke the record, it was great,” said President Donald Trump on Tuesday.
Gretzky, widely regarded as the greatest hockey player ever, scored 894 goals over 1,487 games. Ovechkin equaled this record in his 1,486th game and then surpassed it by scoring his 895th goal in the subsequent game.
The record-breaking moment came at 12:34 of the second period against the Islanders when Ovechkin received a pass from Tom Wilson and scored against fellow Russian goaltender Ilya Sorokin—marking Ovechkin’s first goal against Sorokin. In celebration of this achievement, play was halted, and Ovechkin received accolades from both NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Wayne Gretzky.
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Ovechkin on Monday, recognizing his “outstanding achievement.” He stated, “You have surpassed legendary players in the number of goals scored in regular-season NHL games,” and added that the breaking of Gretzky’s record is “not just a personal triumph, but a true celebration for fans in Russia and around the world.”
Ovechkin is a three-time world champion with the Russian national team and was part of the Washington Capitals when they won the Stanley Cup in 2018, the only NHL team he has represented throughout his career.
Earlier this week, the Russian embassy in the US remarked that “literally all of America” had come together in support of Ovechkin’s quest to break Gretzky’s record, leading to an increased interest in organizing matches between Russian and North American teams.
During a phone call on March 18, Putin and Trump discussed hockey and explored the possibility of arranging games between players from the NHL and KHL. With international sanctions sidelining Russia from many competitions due to the Ukraine conflict, the NHL remains a prominent venue for Russian players to demonstrate the strength of their nation’s hockey legacy.
Rohan Mehta for TROIB News
