Backstrom, Oshie get emotional watching Ovechkin break Gretzky's record

ELMONT, N.Y. -- For Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie, being in the building to watch Alex Ovechkin make history on Sunday was at least the next best thing to being on the ice with him for his record-breaking 895th goal and the entire run leading up to the moment.

Ovechkin scored his record-breaking goal, which moved him past Wayne Gretzky for the most in NHL history, at 7:26 of the second period in the Washington Capitals' 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders at UBS Arena.

"Very special," Backstrom said. "Very special, emotional, but I didn't get emotional until I saw Ovi's wife, actually. It was really special."

Nobody had a bigger hand in Ovechkin getting to this point than Backstrom.

He played in more regular-season games with Ovechkin than any other player (1,058). He also assisted on more of his goals than any other player (279).

Backstrom and Ovechkin played their first game together on Oct. 5, 2007 (Backstrom's NHL debut). He had his first assist on an Ovechkin goal on Nov. 16, 2007. They played their last game together on Oct. 29, 2023 (Backstrom's final NHL game).

"As soon as I saw 'Nicky,' I just wanted to cry," Ovechkin said. "And we hold (each other). He was such a big part of my success, and we've grown up together. We play together, we've been in so many different situations together, and that relationship in that moment with him and 'Osh' (T.J. Oshie) being here, yeah, it's tremendous. It's support. It's always been like that. I tell him, 'Without you, I would never reach that milestone.'"

Backstrom joked that he "was a little bummed" Ovechkin didn't break the record at home in Washington on Friday against the Chicago Blackhawks, when he scored two goals to tie Gretzky in the record books.

"I called a hat trick on Friday, so," Backstrom said.

However, he was not at all surprised to see his friend and former teammate rise to the occasion against the Islanders on Sunday.

The goal extended Ovechkin's scoring streak to five games. He has six goals during the streak, seven in his past seven games, and nine in his past 11.

"I said this before the game on Friday: 'You know what? This is the Ovi we know,'" Backstrom said. "When he's close to a milestone or record, he does it right away. That's who he is."

Ovechkin acknowledged Backstrom and Oshie during his speech in the on-ice ceremony immediately following his goal. They were also at Capital One Arena on Friday to watch Ovechkin score goals 893 and 894.

"There's not many instances where someone has openly, in one instance or another, kind of thanked me in front of the world," Oshie said. "So, in that moment, I kind of assumed and knew that 'Backy' was going to get a shoutout. They go hand in hand and their bond is like no other of two teammates that I've seen. But for him to call my name in that moment was incredibly special and, honestly, very emotional for me inside to have him mention and give me a little shoutout during the biggest accomplishment that the world of hockey has seen in a very long time."

Oshie noted how fitting it was that John Carlson had the primary assist on Ovechkin's 894th goal, that Tom Wilson had it on his 895th, and that he and Backstrom were in the building to watch both.

They were all part of the Capitals' 2018 Stanley Cup championship team.

After Backstrom, Carlson is second in games played with Ovechkin (1,033) and Wilson is third (780). Oshie, who arrived in Washington prior to the 2015-16 season, played 539 games with him.

"Us five, there's a bond there that will never be broken: Tom, Backy, 'O,' John and myself," Oshie said. "Not only are we etched in history ... on the Cup, but the bond that we have is lifelong. So, for them to assist on it and for O to give me and Nick a shoutout from up in the suites up there, we're a family. We're like brothers and we'd do anything for each other, go to war for each other. So, very fitting. O finds a way of bringing things together like a storybook, and sure enough he did it again."