When The Great One retired in 1999, he did so as the widely accepted greatest ever in other sports. It’s hard to argue that point, too. After all, Wayne Gretzky held a whopping 61 NHL records. For nearly everyone other than goaltenders, he was the man to beat. However, in these two and a half decades since his retirement, a handful of icons, such as Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, have chipped away at those records.

With Crosby registering his 20th season, averaging a point per game, he finally surpassed Gretzky’s 19-season record. Meanwhile, Alex Ovechkin is in touching distance of toppling the Canadian’s all-time NHL goal-scoring record. So Spittin’ Chiclets’ Matt Murley put forward his argument of granting the two contemporary NHL stars a similar honor when they retire.

“Sid is just breaking records all the time… I want to see the whole NHL when he (Sidney Crosby) retires, an 87 there on the left post in all the rinks for at least one night,” suggested Murley. Yet he didn’t stop there. “We’re going to do the same for Ovechkin on his spot when he retires… They’ll have the big eight on the other circle,” added the Game Notes host. However, the fans weren’t feeling it.

Most simply rejected the idea outright. Meanwhile, others were a little more receptive but still not ready to get on board. “If it’s one night per year, then I’m not going to die on this hill but would prefer this didn’t happen,” one ice hockey fan commented without mincing his words. But where did the former Pittsburg Penguins player get such an idea in the first place?

He explained it himself. “You remember when Wayne Gretzky retired, they put the 99 behind the net?” the former NHL player asked his co-host, Colby Armstrong, and guests Benn Barr and Jonny Lazarus. Although the Game Notes believed both Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin deserved it, the fans didn’t agree, especially for one of the two players.

Fans didn’t hesitate choosing between Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin

While most netizens weren’t big fans of the podcast host’s idea, even those who considered it only did so for Sidney Crosby. One fan argued that Alex Ovechkin’s sweater number in itself is far too common. “8 is far too common to retire,” claimed the fan. He was far more receptive to Murley’s idea with Crosby’s jersey number. “87 is definitely possible to do,” added the fan.

Another fan liked the idea so much that he suggested an even bigger tribute. “Retire #87 league-wide when Sid hangs ’em up,” the ice hockey fan said about Sidney Crosby’s No. 87. Coincidentally, this is also something that the league has already done for the legendary Wayne Gretzky. Yet, others argued why it wasn’t such a bright idea for either active NHL star.

“Stop.” commented a hockey enthusiast. “87 will be like 66 – players that choose 87 will be laughed into a new number by their teammates if the equipment manager doesn’t laugh in his face first,” commented the fan. The fan was referencing another Pittsburgh Penguins icon, Mario Lemieux, with his comment. That’s because Super Mario’s jersey has a Gretzky connection.

Lemieux, also hailing from Montreal, drew comparisons with his fellow Canadian even before coming to the NHL. So he took the no. 66, which is also a flipped 99. The Montreal Native later explains why he selected 66. “I had the mindset of becoming the best in the world… Looking at Gretzky, the way he was racking up points, I had a long way to go,” said the retired NHL icon.

The Magnificent One would ultimately go on to have a hall-of-fame career. The fan may have thought that Sidney Crosby is yet to reach that level. However, the fan had a much simpler explanation for Alex Ovechkin. “As for 8… Yeah, a bunch of goals, one cup. Hard pass on shunning for that one,” explained the hockey enthusiast.

Another fan also highlighted Ovechkin’s lack of Stanley Cups. “One won 1 Cup,” the fan simply commented. Although the Russian is just 4 goals away from equaling Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record, most fans commenting didn’t think the rest of his accolades were The Great One. Ultimately, it also seemed to come down to overall performance and the number of Stanley Cups.

Sidney Crosby recently led Canada in the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off title. The Penguins’ icon also proved his consistency by beating Gretzky’s average points per game record. The 37-year-old is also far closer to Gretzky when counting Stanley Cups, as he has won the NHL’s ultimate prize three times, just one shy of No. 99. Crosby is also one Heart Trophy (NHL MVP) shy of Alex Ovechkin’s three MVP awards.

Yet, while the argument raged on, the players in question have been beacons of humility. Crosby broke Gretzky’s record, but his team lost 7-3 in that match against the Buffalo Sabres. The Next One wasn’t in the mood to celebrate. “It’s hard right now after a loss like that,” the Penguins’ captain told reporters.

Sidney Crosby even gave part of the credit to other players. “I just think that there’s a lot of guys who’ve contributed to that, so I’m thankful for the guys that I’ve played with that contributed to it. It’s a special milestone. But yeah, obviously play to win,” added Crosby. Meanwhile, the Great 8, was no different. Although he’s been inching closer to beating Gretzky, the Capitals are on a losing streak.

When asked about scoring his 890th goal, Ovechkin totally downplayed the milestone. Instead, the captain’s focus was getting the Capital’s ship back on course. “We just have to bounce back and find a way to win the games,” he said in a post-match interview. Yet, what do you think? Do you believe Matt Murley’s argument holds merit? Give us your relations in the comments.