Wayne Gretzky is not only a legend, but he is the legend of hockey. Every player puts on their skates with the hope of one day writing their name beside his, or even surpassing him. While Alex Ovechkin continues to slowly and methodically close the gap on Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal-scoring record of 894 goals and stands just 11 goals away from tying it, he’s already got a prime spot picked out for the stick that’ll seal the deal. The Caps’ captain prides himself in playing ‘one game at a time,’ but come on, he and the whole hockey world are aware that history is lurking around the corner.

But Ovechkin isn’t the only one making headlines where Gretzky is concerned. Another NHL star joined the party and tied one of the records set by the legend and entered the club that includes such members as Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. Yes, the Edmonton Oilers have gotten themselves a new record chaser, and there could not be more enthusiasm. As for Ovechkin, his focus is on goals and how many of them he can score, but this Oilers standout is proving that there’s more than one way to skate alongside Gretzky in the record books.

Oilers Top 50 Stats hit up X on March 4 with a little nugget of hockey history, and oh boy, it’s a fun one! Darnell Nurse just skated into some seriously legendary company, and the numbers don’t lie. “Playing in his 696th career game, Darnell Nurse ties Wayne Gretzky for the 12th most games played in #Oilers franchise history.” Yeah, you read that right—Nurse just locked arms with The Great One himself in the record books. Talk about elite company!

Darnell Nurse’s tenure with the Oilers has been a rollercoaster ride with its fair share of triumphs and failures. He was a part of the 2014–15 roster and then returned to the Greyhounds after just two games; the first years in the NHL was a lesson in waiting. But Nurse was not the one to back down. He was back in the fray by 2015-16 and even scored his first NHL goal against the Wild and got his stripes. Not even a three-game ban for a fight with Roman Polák could hold him back. Then there was the ankle surgery in 2016 which saw him miss 35 matches. But he came back like a true warrior, showing everyone that he belonged to this league.

Fast forward, and the Oilers knew they had a gem. Subsequent contract renewals continued to pour in with $6.4 million in 2018 and $11.2 million in 2020 and in 2021, he signed an eight-year $74 million deal. Oh, and let’s not forget the alternate captain badge he picked up alongside Leon Draisaitl. And now with every game, every shift, it is evident that – Nurse and, the Oilers got the jackpot, and they’re cashing in big time! But coming back to breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record, even Sidney Crosby is in the mix!

Sidney Crosby chases Wayne Gretzky’s record!

Long before Wayne Gretzky became The Great One, he was just a little kid lacing up his skates for the first time at his grandparents’ house. Little did they know that one particular second would create a hockey dynasty. He dodged bleach bottles, tiptoed around tin cans, caught pucks between pieces of stick, and listened to his father’s words of wisdom: “Skate where the puck’s going, not where it’s been.” That became his secret weapon, giving him an unmatched ability to predict the play before it even happened—which he did for 20 seasons of the NHL.

Fast forward to March 29, 1999, and Gretzky cemented his status as ‘The Great One’ retiring as the holder of the record for most points with 2,857, goals with 894 and a string of 19 point-per-game seasons. Those numbers stood tall, untouched for decades. Until now. Alex Ovechkin is now only 11 goals behind the record holder and he is chasing him in the current season. But wait—there’s more. Sidney Crosby, The Next One, is making his own noise. Having scored 64 points in 61 games and with a maximum of 80 games to play, he is only 15 points away from becoming the most point-per-game player in the history of the NHL. And yes, Gretzky still stands as the record holder of this record as well.

Crosby has already passed Bobby Hull (610) and has moved all the way up to the top ten in assists. If he manages to achieve this record, then he will be sitting all by himself at the top. But let’s not forget about the Oilers’ phenom—Connor McDavid. He has been burning up the defenses on the field, scoring on average 1.51 points per game. Just behind the great Mario Lemieux of the Penguins with an average of 1.88, McDavid is also eyeing Gretzky 1.92. Can Crosby inch closer? Can McDavid shake things up? One thing is for certain—Wayne Gretzky’s records aren’t as untouchable as they once seemed, and the chase is on like never before!