Ovechkin tours Oilers Hall of Fame, focused on catching Gretzky

EDMONTON -- Alex Ovechkin had a special tour of the Edmonton Oilers Hall of Fame on Monday with an opportunity to try on the gloves and hold the stick that Wayne Gretzky used in the 1980s.

The Washington Capitals captain is 21 goals from passing Gretzky for first in NHL history entering the game against the Oilers at Rogers Place on Tuesday (9 p.m. ET; SNW, MNMT).

"It's pretty sick," Ovechkin said. "When you have a chance to feel how different equipment was back then, I had, not the same gloves, but the same kind of materials. It was a special moment."

Ovechkin was asked what it would be like trying to score with the heavy wooden Titan stick Gretzky played with while helping Edmonton win the Stanley Cup four times (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988) before he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings on Aug. 9, 1988.

"It's unbelievable," Ovechkin said. "It's pretty crazy how they changed over the years."

Ovechkin was also taken up to Gretzky's restaurant, Studio 99 inside Rogers Place, where he posed with one of the many jerseys up on the wall. A memorabilia collector himself, Ovechkin owns a stick given to him by Gretzky when Washington won the Stanley Cup in 2018.

It's one of his prized possessions.

"I have Gretzky's, Mario Lemieux stick," he said. "I have lots of sticks, it's pretty cool."

Ovechkin has become friends with Gretzky over the years and the two keep in contact regularly. Gretzky turns 64 on Sunday.

"I wished him Happy Birthday (last year). I don't text him every day, obviously, he wouldn't respond," Ovechkin joked, "but I'm very proud that I have a relationship with him."

Gretzky scored 583 of his 894 goals with the Oilers. Ovechkin has all 874 of his goals for the Capitals. The 39-year-old is in his 20th season and has 21 goals (12 assists, 33 points) in 30 games.

Oilers fans have special interest in Ovechkin's chase, which was evident by the number of local media at his morning availability.

"It just speaks to the gravity of what he's doing right now and the pursuit of the record," Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. "I think what it says, maybe, if you look at that is how much of an impact this has on the country of Canada and Edmonton. I think every NHL city we go to, it's a big, big deal, and what he's doing is just massive for the sport and the record and Wayne's impact on not just the game of hockey, but the country in general.

"Sometimes in our bubble in Washington, there's a lot of attention on it, but when you come here, you realize how much of what he's doing, the significance of it and how much it means to the country of Canada."

The chase has been enjoyable for Ovechkin this season with Washington (31-10-5) leading the NHL with 67 points. The game in Edmonton is the first of a five-game road trip.

"Of course, it's fun when you're winning and your team is playing well," Ovechkin said. "It kind of helps you up."

Ovechkin missed 16 games after he fractured his left fibula at the Utah Hockey Club on Nov. 18. Since returning, he has eight points (six goals, two assists) in 12 games.

"It's a gift from God," Oilers forward Vasily Podkolzin said. "He can score, he can rip it and no matter how old he is, he's still moving well. It's great to have an opportunity to play against him."

Podkolzin, like Ovechkin a native of Moscow, idolized him growing up and remembers fondly the first time he played against him.

"I was around 5 years old when he got into the League," he said. "I've played against him two or three times. He's even bigger on the ice with skates. It was pretty nice to meet him. We had a little conversation. He's a good guy and one of the greatest players."

Ovechkin's ability to continue scoring at a high rate at this stage of his career is impressive, though he does not have a target of how many goals he would like to have at the end of it.

For now, the focus is on catching Gretzky.

"I'm 20, 21 goals (away), it's hard to score in this league," Ovechkin said. "You play against the best defensive players out there and maybe in one game, you maybe have two or three chances, and you have to use it, or maybe one chance. All five guys out there have to do the job."

The Capitals surrounded Ovechkin with plenty of talent in the offseason. It's helped them grow from a fringe Stanley Cup Playoff team swept by the New York Rangers in the best-of-7 Eastern Conference First Round to a championship contender.

"You can see how many guys signed before the season, experienced guys but still young, and still hungry to win the games and go to the playoffs," Ovechkin said. "The most important thing, I think, is that we have a great group of guys in the locker room. If something happens, we always try to stick together, and I think that's why we're successful right now."