The hockey world just got a front-row seat to history, and it wasn’t just another regular-season night—it was the night Alex Ovechkin rewrote the NHL record books. With a thunderbolt of a shot, the Washington Capitals’ fearless captain lit the lamp for the 895th time, officially shattering Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record. It happened against the New York Islanders, in true poetic fashion—Ovi connected with longtime running mate Tom Wilson, zipped one past fellow Russian Ilya Sorokin, and boom, the record was his. The place went wild. Fans were roaring “Ovi! Ovi!” from every corner of the arena, and he hit the ice in celebration like a kid living out his dream.

Teammates swarmed him, staff got misty-eyed, and the crowd knew they were witnessing a moment carved straight into hockey’s soul. But while the fans brought the fire, and the Capitals gave him his flowers, there was a strange chill coming from the players’ side of the bench—some eerie silence from across the league. Now, one NHL insider is stepping in and calling it out loud and clear—asking why one of the sport’s most iconic legends isn’t being showered with the recognition he’s earned ten times over.

Jason Gregor—aka the voice behind The Jason Gregor Show and co-host of the Daily Faceoff podcast—wasn’t about to let the silence slide. He popped off on X and didn’t hold back when it came to NHL players staying way too quiet after Alex Ovechkin’s record-breaking magic. “What a fail by NHL players. Very few social media posts from stars mentioning Ovechkin’s record. It was one of the greatest accomplishments in NHL history yet crickets from NHLPA.”

The post continued, “NBA and NFL players show fans they love their sport as much as fans do and are often congratulating/commenting on social media about great plays, but almost nothing from NHLers on this record. Happens far too often in playoffs as well. They want their game to grow, they need to understand their part in it.” Gregor’s message was loud, clear, and low-key savage—if hockey wants to shine like the other big leagues, it’s gonna take more than just goals and saves.

While a few NHL stars may’ve stayed a little too quiet for comfort, the love for Alex Ovechkin still came roaring in—just not always from where you’d expect. The NFL and NBA worlds came through in full-force to tip their caps to the Great 8. None other than the GOAT himself, Tom Brady, popped in with some heartfelt hype: “Ovi, what’s up, my man–congratulations… You smashed the record, and you’re still playing the game at the highest level… Thanks for your inspiration, thanks for your commitment to greatness.” That’s major praise coming from a guy who knows what greatness looks like from the inside out.

And then—swish—enter LeBron James from his living room with a tribute just as legendary. “Alex, congratulations, man, on being the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer,” he said, dropping words like gold. “It takes a lot of hard work, dedication and sacrifice and you’re a byproduct of that.” He called Alex Ovechkin’s climb to the top “an unbelievable accomplishment” and closed with a real one-liner: “To the great eight… salute to you, brother.” So yeah, even if the NHL’s own stars were a little slow on the celebratory trigger, Ovi’s historic night didn’t go unnoticed—not even close.

Alex Ovechkin receives wishes from the NHL world too!

This NHL era? Oh, it’s been painted in bold strokes by two absolute legends—Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby—two titans who burst onto the scene back in the 2005-06 season and never looked back. Their rivalry? Iconic. Their respect for one another? Unspoken… until now. Because when Ovi finally shattered that Mount Everest of milestones and became the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, guess who came through with a message so pure, it hit fans right in the feels? Yep—Sid the Kid himself.

The Penguins didn’t waste a second before sharing Crosby’s touching words just moments after Alex Ovechkin slipped that record-smashing goal past Sorokin. “Ovi, it’s been an honor to compete against you for all these years… this one was probably thought to be impossible, and you found a way to do it,” Crosby said, keeping it humble, heartfelt, and full of admiration. He wrapped it all with a toast to the moment: “Hope you have a great night celebrating with your friends and family. Congratulations.” No shade, no rivalry drama—just two greats giving each other flowers while they can still smell ’em.

And while everyone’s eyes were laser-focused on Ovechkin’s legendary chase, Crosby lowkey made some history of his own—just slid it in there like a quiet king move. Earlier this season, he passed Wayne Gretzky for the most seasons averaging at least one point per game—20 seasons, to be exact. Yep, one more than The Great One himself. So while the spotlight might’ve been brighter on Alex Ovechkin this time around, Crosby showed he’s still writing his own poetic saga too. Two legends, still rising, still breaking records—and still keeping it classy.