Just hours before the Washington Capitals walk into Lenovo Center in Raleigh, Carolina Hurricanes star Andrei Svechnikov issued an honest confession about countryman Alex Ovechkin‘s chase for Wayne Gretzky’s goals record in the NHL.
Both the Hurricanes and Capitals aim to build on their recent victories when they clash in a pivotal Metro Division showdown. With Carolina riding a two-game win streak and Washington rejuvenated after snapping a three-game skid, both teams will be eager to make a statement on April 2.
Ovechkin enters the matchup on a two-game goal streak, determined to close the gap on Gretzky’s record 894 NHL goals. After finding the net against the Boston Bruins, ‘Ovi’ sits at 891 career goals—just three away from tying ‘The Great One’ and four from etching his name on the record books.
Ahead of the showdown between fellow Russians in North Carolina, Svechnikov made a bold admission about Ovechkin’s pursuit of NHL history, as he edges closer to the record-breaking number.
Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals looks on against the Minnesota Wild in the second period at Xcel Energy Center on March 27, 2025 in St Paul, Minnesota.
“Especially for me as a Russian guy, I would love to see that,” Svechnikov said about Ovechkin breaking the record, via NHL.com. “It would be something you tell your kids about.
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“I think all the Russian community, we’ve got only about 60 players in the NHL, and I feel everyone wants to see that and you’re a little bit proud of that because Ovi is Russian. It’s special for us to see him bring that record back home. I think every Russian is going to be proud of that.”
Not tonight
While Svechnikov is excited about ‘Ovi’ making history atop the NHL’s all-time scoring list, he’s in no rush to see it happen when the Capitals visit the Hurricanes on April 2.
“Maybe if he had one [goal] left, I would love to see it in person,” Svechnikov jokingly admitted. “But not tonight when he needs four.”
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Does breaking Wayne Gretzky\'s goals record give Alex Ovechkin the upper hand over Sidney Crosby?
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Ovi’s last four-goal game
While the Russian goalscorer can’t ever be ruled out, it would be a major surprise if Ovechkin netted four goals against the Hurricanes. The last time the 39-year-old accomplished such a feat in an NHL game was back on October 7, 2017, when he scored four times in Washington’s 6-1 win over Montreal.
