Alex Ovechkin scored his team’s only goal for the night as the Washington Capitals went down 5-1 against Carolina. While it was their fourth loss in the five matches, the Capitals aren’t sweating because they’ve already booked a playoff berth. So naturally, all the hype shifted to the Great 8. Why? Well, that sole goal put Ovi just one hat trick away from surpassing Gretzky.

Hat tricks aren’t something even Ovechkin can achieve at will. Yet, many believe he might just do it in their next match against the Chicago Blackhawks. Yet, everyone except the major broadcast networks seemed to have gotten the memo. “Ovi 3 goals away. Capitals’ next game is Friday on … NHL Network,” wrote NHL4Life on X. So what’s the problem?

Well, there’s more than one. Networks like ESPN+, and TNT have a much larger reach compared to the NHL Network. Even worse is the fact that the NHL Network doesn’t have its own streaming service. “ESPN has other commitments, but TNT is showing nothing Friday night,” NHL4Life highlighted in his post. Yet, TNT hasn’t picked up the game where Alex Ovechkin may potentially beat Wayne Gretzky’s epic record.

Naturally, the fans are not big fans of potentially having to miss watching history being made on live television. “Yeah, not sure why TNT is not picking this up. Seems like a big miss for the NHL. This is a perfect way to promote their product,” commented one ice hockey fan, who couldn’t fathom why the NHL and the big networks would make such a fumble.

Then again, why are the fans baking on a potential hat trick? After all, it’s just as likely that the Washington Capitals captain won’t score three goals against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday. In fact, the Capitals’ recent track record shows a slump in overall form. Yet, there’s also a strong argument in support of the hat trick theory. That’s because Ovechkin has done the same against the Blackhawks in the past. And that’s not the only argument fans have.

The cost of watching Alex Ovechkin make history

Yes, there’s no guarantee Ovechkin will score three goals against Chicago. Yet, the Russian hockey icon has previously reached a goalscoring milestone similarly, that too against the Hawks. On December 13th, 2022, the Capitals’ captain scored goals number 798, 799, and finally 800 in a game against Chicago. Now he has the same opportunity over two years later.

So it’s no wonder the fans are hyped for the upcoming game, and disappointed that networks like TNT are not taking notice. “So many do not have NHL TV,” commented one fan, before stating the importance of Alex Ovechkin snatching Gretzky’s record. “It is unacceptable that all Ovi’s games leading up to this record should be on (legit) national TV,” added the fan.

And in what seems like adding insult to injury, “Sportsnet in Canada picked up the game,” informed one fan. “My guess is they’re going to use the Caps feed,” added the fan. So besides having their own streaming service, there’s a bigger chance fans in Canada will have easier access to the iconic Joe B. and Locker duo call the historic moment if it happens.

One of the biggest motivations for Locker, aka Craig Laughlin, to come back so quickly from heart surgery was to call the play-by-play of Alex Ovechkin, breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record. Naturally, the American fans are flummoxed at this telecast mishap. One fan highlighted exactly how difficult this makes the whole viewing experience.

“Sad how it’s 2025 and NHL Network still has absolutely no streaming available. Even if you have it on cable, it’s impossible to watch outside of your home,” the fan revealed. This is especially surprising because several networks, including TNT, have gone above and beyond to highlight the Gr8 Chase. They’ve even dedicated screen space for a special OviCast during games.

Maybe that’s why some are still having a tough time believing the blunder. “Is the @NHL dead serious having the @Capitals/@NHLBlackhawks game on @NHLNetwork tomorrow night?” one fan asked. “Ovi could potentially break Wayne Gretzky’s goal record, and almost everyone will miss it because no one wants to pay for NHL Network on top of @ESPN+ and regular programming…” the disappointed fan explained.

Thankfully, things are not that grim. In an update to their original post, NHL4Life had some good news for fans. “Well, at least got added to ESPN+,” they wrote after ESPN posted about it on X. Yet, what’s your take on the situation? Give us your opinions in the comments.