What a time to be a hockey fan right now! Even more so if you’re a Washington Capitals loyalist. The legendary Alex Ovechkin is just one goal shy of becoming the all-time highest goalscorer in the NHL, and the Great 8 could reach the seminal milestone tomorrow when he and the team take on the New York Islanders at the UBS Arena. For understandable reasons, the historic moment and the emphatic chase of Wayne Gretzky’s two-decade-old record warrant something memorable to mark the occasion, and the folks over at the Washington camp are doing their best to make it happen.

Tonight, Ovechkin scored his 893rd and 894th goals as the Capitals trounced the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3 at the Capital One Arena. Ovechkin has tied The Great One’s record while having played one less match. Naturally, NHL fans believe the Russian could surpass Gretzky tomorrow, and it looks like the Caps employees are determined to mark Ovechkin’s towering feat for posterity.

A dedicated team working closely with Alex Ovechkin

On April 4, Monumental Sports Network posted on X, sharing how the Washington Capitals’ employees are preserving Alex Ovechkin’s “Gr8 Chase” memorabilia. In the accompanying video, Capitals insider Tarik El-Bashir talks about how the team is trying to preserve the winger’s legacy. “There’s a small army of Capital’s employees, four equipment managers, two PR reps, and the chief of security who have a very important job every night,” Tarik can be heard saying with the mic in his hand.

“…when Alex Ovechkin scores a goal, they have to go get his jersey, the stick, the puck, and they label everything,” he shed light on the manpower that has been aiding Alex Ovechkin off the ice with his incredible record-chasing spree. El-Bashir went on to note how the team had also prepared for Ovechkin’s performance at the Capital One Arena tonight against the Blackhawks. “If Alex scores in the first period tonight, in between periods, he will take off his jersey and change jerseys. That jersey will then be autographed by the two teammates that assisted on that goal,” he said, also revealing that the goal-scoring jersey and the stick would be retired.

“These are fraud-proof. They actually say authenticated by Brock Miles, head equipment manager of the Capitals,” El-Bashir further added how the Alex Ovechkin gear will be authentic so that the fans who get their hands on these items can rest assured that they didn’t pay a hefty amount for counterfeit products. He also mentioned that the Washington captain has the desire to display his stuff at a museum in his hometown in Russia and clarified, “I think there’s gonna be a little bit of a fight once it’s all said and done over who gets all of this stuff…But look, the Hall of Fame is gonna want a piece of it, the Capitals are gonna want a piece of it.”

But while it remains to be seen where the items end up, one thing’s for sure: many would want to see these historic items with their own eyes and even want some of those in their collection. However, even though the hype is indeed real, other factors are also making it seem like Alex Ovechkin’s chase isn’t demanding as much attention as his fans thought it would.

Not-so-good viewing numbers spoil the mood

When you stand on the brink of history, you’d imagine the entire world would keep an eye on your progress every step of the way. With 41 goals this season already, Ovechkin is just one step away from making history and is right to demand all the admiration of the NHL community and beyond. And yet, the Capitals’ match against the Hurricanes on Wednesday didn’t have enough people to watch him inch closer to Wayne Gretzky’s record.

Washington picked up a major 5-1 defeat on the road against Carolina, but the match was viewed by only 186,000 viewers on the TNT and truTV networks, dampening the overall vibe of Ovechkin’s chase. Naturally, some fans are concerned about what this could mean and how it reflects upon Ovi’s legacy. Talk about having people on both ends of the spectrum, huh?

However, while it remains to be seen if more people turn on their TVs tomorrow in hopes of seeing Alex Ovechkin rewrite NHL history, one thing’s for sure: the Washington captain would look at the stakes at hand, which transcend his record-setting possibilities. The 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs are just around the corner, and the Capitals have already qualified for the knockout stages. Do you think his stellar season would provide an additional boost to the system for his team in the quest for Washington’s second NHL title? Leave a comment with your thoughts!