NHL Unscripted with Virk and DemersWith Adnan Virk on the road, Jason Demers and Producer Tal hopped on for a quick emergency bonus episode to discuss the grand finale of the Gr8 Chase. Alexander Ovechkin is officially the greatest goal-scorer in hockey history. Jason was in the building Friday night when Ovi tied Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record and had several thoughts to share about Alex Ovechkin's incredible run and what the rest of this season may hold for him and the Washington Capitals.
NHL Inscripted is a production of the NHL and iHeart podcast.
Right side to Wilson shentered up, Oh kind has any scores? He scores? Alex ovatch Tan scor Saint ninety five. There's a new goal scoring champion and his name he is Alexander Oh betch Tan.
He has done it.
Hello, everybody, welcome to a special bonus episode of nhlu Scripted. This is not your boy ad Nan Verk introducing us. In case you couldn't tell from the different intonation of my voice, Av's on the road for Amazon. He'll be working the big game Monday night between the Winnipeg Jets and the White Hot Saint Louis Blues.
What could be a pretty cool playoff preview.
But Jason Demarz and I we had to jump on, of course to talk about Ov, Alexander Ovechkin and the great Chase.
Jason will go straight to you. Ov did it. We knew he would. We knew you take care of business.
I don't know if anyone thought he would get it done quite this quickly, but history has been made today.
Yeah, I mean, this is a congratulations from NHL unscripted directly to Alexandrovchkin and the Washington Capitals. They can start actually playing hockey now and not just trying to get him the record. But I you know, I had a privilege to play against him, and you know, when I played against him, he was already you know, probably five six years in his career and he's you know, I'm retired two years and he's still playing and just goes to show you his durability. And you know, obviously we'd love to have adnin here, but we know Adnandes only works on paid days and he is flying to his paid gig. But we thought we needed to do it just because hey, this word NHL supported podcast, and we got to support the guys in the NHL. And this is what we do. We are a podcast that wants to give as much love to the NHL and expand our voices as far as we can, because you know, it's just one of the greatest leagues in the world. And you could see it, and you could see why this is the greatest league in the world just by this whole chase and how much it got everybody together and everybody's supporting them. Fans from other teams, we're traveling to see Alexandrovitchkin to cheer for him when he scored players on other teams. We're supporting, and we all wanted this to happen. And you know, records, it's a cliche, but records are made to be broken. And you know, if everybody's saying they didn't want to see Gretzky's record broken, I feel like if you ask Gretzky himself, yeah, maybe a small part of them would want to see his records stand the test of time. But to me, the how you prove that a league is advancing and eras people are getting better and the league is getting better, and the old generation is passing on to the new generation and they're learning new tricks and they're continuing the legacy. I mean, you need to see these records broken. And you know, I'm so happy that Alexandrovitchkin did it against the goalie he's never scored on. That's what's crazy, all the little underlying numbers, Ilias sirokn never scored on against them in two games, and he just does it from his office like that, where we knew he would. You know, I think we all thought there was empty net stuff tal that was going to happen. But we saw the micd up video of OV saying he doesn't want to get it on an empty net, he wants a gold in the crease, which I thought was just a testament to him. A lot of guys could have taken the easy way out, and we saw that game they scored an empty net, or Ryan Leonard gets empty net, that could have been Ov. He wants to do it the right way, and and even though I was four empty netters, I didn't mind. I was like, however, you get it. That's just an incredible record. And for him to do it on the island, in Long Island was so so incredible to watch. I was in my living room. I jumped up and down almost. It's one of those were worry moments. I was screaming. My wife was in the other room. I was like, he did it, He did it, unbelievable. I got chills a few tiers almost, just because you know, we know as athletes how we struggle and how hard it is to play in this lee. You know, one hundred is to be dominant this league. So you just got to respect and be nambored by a guy like that, and you know I was. I had the pleasure of seeing the tying goal live in d C against the Chicago Blackhawks, and I jumped.
Well, we got we got to get into that. Yeah, yeah, we're with the lead a little bit there. I mean, Hope did some quick business. You were there for the game tying goal in that game against the Blackhawks. I mean it seemed like the energy in the building that night was absolutely off the charge. You know, what can you tell us about being there? And just like I was saying, the energy all around that arena, Well, I have three moments in my career where and you know, playing and non playing that you know, I thought the building was probably the loudest ever heard. Was Is Number one.
At the top of the list was always the Shark Tank and pluck come playoff time. There's nothing I heard in my career or post career louder than that. Number two was the Edmonton or Is Rogers Place last playoffs in Game six was the loudest I've ever heard of building after the Shark Tank. And then number three was Capital One Arena when Ovi scored that second goal to tie it up, and that whole energy, the whole night in that building was so loud, it was so rocking. Every time Ovie touched the buck, people put cheer and shoot. People were booing Spencer Night every time he made a save. It was actually one of the funniest, fun little games to be a part of. So, you know, it's it's it was cool to be there. We're outside out front doing an NHL. We're doing NHL now outside kind of on the concourse and listening to all the fans and talking, and we talked to the old the old guard, Braden Holtby. We got talked to Carl Alzner, who ended up telling us this crazy.
Story that his first goal.
Which was like a couple games or it was like a couple of games into his career, he got his first goal and Ovi tipped it and he told him, no, no, on all, it's years, it's years, it's years, and then told them years later that he tipped it like technically not to say that he had probably didn't have a couple other lucky ones in his career that he didn't take credit for, but that would have been the game winning one, his sorry, the record breaking one would have been that second goal in DC. So you know, what a crazy story we hear there, and you know, I talked to Nicholas Backstrom a little bit on text and they were just so pumped up. They parted with him after the game. So for them to kind of get on a bird come to the island after having a night out and then playing a twelve thirty game, because I'm pretty sure that you know that game, the record tying goal. He was out laid and so are all the guys. And they come into the island. Obviously they looked sluggish all game, and they didn't look great, but all he gets. The gets the record breaking one. Probably stung a little bit and good for him. And you know, I feel like now the Capitals can take it and take a deep X sale and start playing hockey, because I think it was something that was weighing on them all the cameras. They just wanted to get it over with, and they knew he was going to get it. And I mean, listen, in one the same amount of games as Wayne Gretzky fourteen hundred and sixty seven and he gets eight ninety five on the same amount of games, So incredibly impressive and such a huge congratulations to him and his family. So I mean, did you were you were you able to listen to tell the the speeches by Wayne and Gary just great speeches, you know, Wayne Gretz.
Absolute, I had a hard time.
Yeah, I was just gonna quickly say my son was watching it with me and he was completely confused because he thought the game was over because everyone was on the ice and it looked like it was over, and I had to explain, well, no, the game.
Is not over yet. They're taking a break.
How do you Yeah, it was incredible and then they and then to see the messages from Michael, Jordan Lebron, James, Roger Federer, I mean the goats of all goats, sort like every sport, Michael.
Yeah, who else? Who am I missing?
Tom Brady, Phelps, Tom Brady, I think Derek Jeter. I saw DEREKK.
Jeeter, That's right.
I mean incredible tribute Rosby, you know once he scored the goal.
Yeah, I mean, Sid was such a great little tribute as well. But I just love the way Wayne talked and and was so heartfelt the way he and it is true when you think about it, there's you know a lot of things in life you're like, you know, there's a lot of people that have been through this. You know, that is one thing that only Wayne Gretzky and has been through. Maybe Gordy House the other one, but the only one that could touch on that experience is Wayne Gretzky in that moment too, Alexandrovitchkin. So to feel like you're that simpatico with somebody and that you know, closely tied and no one can know what he's feeling other than Wayne Gretzky's a pretty cool thing to feel and a great person to kind of being in concert with is Wayne Gretzky, you know, one of the greatest of all time and in hockey, and you know it's it's so incredible to see that and see how humble he was and grateful that Alexovitchkin was able to do it. And then you know Gary Bettman amidst all the booze, which is just so funny. Every time it happens, He's like, well you booing me, I'm just coming here to It's just like become a funny joke between fans and Gary. We just bow him and he loves it. And great speech by him that the painting was amazing, and you know the way he did it and we saw a lot of the inside the locker room and the micd up moments and how much he loves his teammates. I don't think there's enough talked about, and it's it just came out during this chase the past three months. But like you know, the whole story behind Ovi early in his career was he was selfish. He didn't play defense and for him to kind of take that on the chin for as long as he did, and now hearing all the stories of it, maybe he did learn along the way. But hearing all the stories of how great of a teammate loves his teammates, loves being a part of the guys, takes guys out, takes care of guys, anything guys need, they can call him, is just a testament to the person and the man that he is. And to see how excited the guys were for him, I mean, everybody in the world was excited to see him break that because the witness greatness live is something that's truly a special experience for anybody to witness.
Yeah, I mean you mentioned Wayne Gretzky being there. Obviously there's going to be a ton of comparisons to the two now that. You know, who knows how many more Gretzky records will fall.
I don't know.
This was the big one obviously, but you know, in terms of the comparison between the two, the thing that sticks out for me looking at it is Alex Ovechkin's consistency for twenty years. You know, Gretzky set the record, but people forget he scored nine goals his last season in the NHL, Like he was not scoring goals his last two or three seasons. OVI just wrapped up his fourteenth forty goal season, you know, and there's no reason to think he can't get a fifteenth next year.
Just you know, I have the numbers here because I mean, how many times.
Wayne, Well, Wayne, when you look back, Wayne had a ninety goal season, didn't he Well, he was very front loaded. Wayne was very he had. Yeah, like you take the ninety goals away, that's three of Ov's seasons, you know, and it's like he did it in one year. So to touch on your point, Yeah, the consistency level in which he scores is bananas.
Well, this is what I looked at.
The NHL posted a full list of every goal that he scored, and I kind of took a little look at it, and I found this incredible. So between goals, between goals two hundred and three hundred, it took Ovi about twenty six months. Yeah, between goals five hundred and six hundred, twenty six months.
So he just kept going and go like he never slowed down. Doesn't it know?
That shot? It's just so wild how he gets it off. And I think the biggest thing was, yeah, the last three, which was pretty cool. The last two was from his office, but he probably had the most varieties ever had this year. And we got to talk to Creg Craig Laughlin and on NHL Network, which was amazing him just coming off of heart surgery and looking fantastic.
Color commentator for Capitals brought Yeah.
And that's the other thing I want to bring up for them to allow. And I don't think it ever should have been a question Ben Andatti and Lachlan to call that goal the game breaking goal, the game record breaking goal, and they also both of them called his first ever goal in the NHL. I think it is just such a poetic moment. And I understand. I think I mentioned this a couple of previous episodes. I understand the ESPN of It All and TNT, and you know Kenny Alberts was shoozing Sean Mcdonnoh great, great announcers, but you know, you have to leave it to the local guys. I just feel like it's something they need to be get to give in their moment that you know, these guys support Ov, Noah's family, know his kids growing up there around the rink. It's just something the personal level and the personal touch that that gives to the goal. And I just listened to it before we came on air. Ben Andatti's calling, oh man just chills, just the same level of excitement his first goal to his record breaking goal. And he's gonna call whenever it is Ovi's last goal. So the bond that that is that those two share, and obviously Craig as well. But to what I was getting to with Craig was Craig was saying that the coaching staff was like Kirk Muller and Spencer Carberry. They were like, listen, you're gonna have to move around a little bit and score from some different areas. And it took him a while, and it took it by committee for them to convince them, like, hey, man, you're gonna have to kind of get some movement in the zone. So it's the most variety I've seen him score goals. And I was just glad to see his last to the two. You know, the record Tye and the record bring just be right from his bucking office. Just the way that good Lord drew it up.
That's perfect. That's how you would have wanted to see him score the goals.
One quick thing for me, I want to I want to ask you about this. For those of you saying, Okay, we've been hyping up the NHL has been hyping up the Great Chase for weeks. Now it's over. We can get over it. It's done, I would say this to those of you saying that I don't have to follow this anymore. An interesting little stat nugget ov. He would have to score eight goals in his last five games, which is a lot. But if anyone can do it, he can. But if he's able to do that, it would be his tenth career fifty goal season, which would break a tie, a three way tie for the most all time with Mike Bossi and some guy named Wayne Gretzky.
Can can he get there? I mean I'd score fifty next, so we know, but can he do that?
Tell that's a badass stat that you found. That's pretty that's pretty nuts. Could he do eight and five? I mean, we didn't think he would get forty one at the age of thirty nine. And you know, I was one of those guys the past years being like he's done. It's not that he's done, but it's gonna take him four years to get the record, while he did it in two and you know, could he get on a heater?
You know?
The only thing the reason why it is a possibility is because now that he's going to play a little bit looser and probably a lot more relaxed, because it seemed just like the team wasn't the team hasn't been playing as good. You know, they've lost five of their last six. I'm pretty sure is that the number. They haven't been playing the same hockey. They've been looking like they've been. It's been weighing on them. And I saw it in the Chicago game when they he scored the record tiangle. The amount of relief that that team showed and just absolutely dominated Chicago the rest of the game I think was something apparent so I think they were probably a little bit tired today, but I think the rest of the away they're gonna be playing a lot more better, a better brand of hockey, and a more Washington Capital style hockey, because right now this isn't their game. And I'm sure coaching staff's like, hey, it's done, like let's play. So for that reason, he might get more looks because of that, because it's a little bit more laid back and loose. And but yeah, it's it's tough. If if somebody can do it, it's ov. He needs a he needs one hat trick in there somewhere and then a couple of two goal games.
But I don't know.
It's gonna be tough, But what a feat that would be. You know, two records in one year, and you know he stills next year. Well is it ten consecutive or is it? No, it's not ten, and it's ten totals, so he's got another year to ten total. He's got another year to do it. And this is all if he didn't break his leg, he would have shattered fifty goals. So that's what's crazy.
But you know, again, to put a ball in it.
From NHL Unscripted absolute love sent out to the Grade eight. The Grade eight chase is over. Now everybody's gonna be chasing him for the next goal breaking, record stealing season that who knows, who knows who's gonna have it. Maybe Austin Matthews, maybe Leandre Settled, maybe a young pop that's just coming up into the league. But you know, this is this is what makes hockey beautiful and sports beautiful. Things like this that bring people together. And from NHL Unscripted to Oxovechkin can graduate. Fucking lations.
I'm probably gonna need a couple more days, so maybe a couple of weeks to realize what does it mean to be number one? But all I can say, I'm very proud. I'm very proud for it myself. I'm proud for my family, for all my teammates that helped me to reach that milestone, and for all my coaches. You know, it's it's huge, it's unbelievable moment and for me and for all the boys, it's fun time. You know, it's uh. You can see how many people will traveled from all over the world to see that moment. You know, it's special.
NHL Unscripted is a production of the NHL, and iHeart Podcasts. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
