Will Ovi breaking Gretzky's goalscoring record change or influence his legacy?

[haseoke39]

does Nylander have 9 Rockets too?

you act like Ovechkin got to where he's at by just playing a long time and compiling numbers when he's literally lead the league in goals more times than anyone else ever has

He's a combination of peak and longevity. You look at, say, these guys' top 3 years in era-adjusted scoring, I think it's pretty clear that Brett Hull and Mario Lemieux had peaks that were at least as good as Ovechkin's. So when people think about, like, who was the most dominant goalscorer in the history of the sport at their very best, Ovi is in the conversation, but not necessarily the leader.

That's not much of a knock on Ovi. You look at who had the longest cumulative elite period in their careers, it becomes clearly Ovi. That he's playing like a 25 year old at 37 is just incredible. But that's not what everyone's looking for. And, as I mentioned, for some folks its a myopic conversation when you don't consider who's the fulcrum of the offense and who's playing the finisher.

 

[Midnight Judges]

Please tell us how this will negatively impact Gretz' legacy? People are all of a sudden going to look at his career in a new light? All of a sudden, we realize the Great One was....not so Great?

I didn't say it would negatively impact Gretzky.

Gretzky was previously in the top tier of goal scorers. That is no longer the case, as Ovechkin has established his own tier, and it is a tier of 1.

That said, Gretzky is in a tier of his own as the greatest ever player. No other player belongs with him.

 

[Boris Zubov]

I didn't say it would negatively impact Gretzky.

That's said, Gretzky was previously in the top tier of goal scorers. That is no longer the case, as Ovechkin has established his own tier, and it is a tier of 1.

That said, Gretzky is in a tier of his own as the greatest ever player. No other player belongs with him.

You said it would impact legacy..if you didn't mean negatively, what did you mean?

The only legacy this is impacting is Ovi's. Gretzky's legacy is set in stone, leading goal scorer or not.

 

[wetcoast]

His legacy will already be that he is the greatest goal scorer ever.

Beating Gretzky's record would more just cement the legacy, rather than change anything about it.

Pretty much this.

 

[Ivo]

I hope he never breaks the record, honestly at this point he should be playing in the KHL. Having said that, he is the greatest goalscorer whether he breaks the record or not.

 

[Dekes For Days]

It will probably affect his legacy. It shouldn't, but it will, and perceptions of him will be even more skewed than they already are.

People often confuse most goals and best goal scorer, as if they mean the same thing.

 

[Midnight Judges]

You said it would impact legacy..if you didn't mean negatively, what did you mean?

The only legacy this is impacting is Ovi's. Gretzky's legacy is set in stone, leading goal scorer or not.

I meant it would positively impact Ovechkin's legacy.

Gretzky will have held the all time goals record for 25 years and has more assists than anyone else has points. I think he'll be alright.

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

Absolutely, the goal scoring record ensures he's never forgotten until it's broken.

 

[TheGreatOne11]

I'm one of the guys who doesn't want Gretzky's record broken, but I see Ovie as a VERY competitive person and I think he plays until he breaks it. (Unforseen massive injuries aside)

 

[Cubs2024wildcard]

I’m going to laugh when Ovechkin breaks Gretzky record.

When that moment comes, and it will, Ovechkin becomes the greatest player of all time and there’s nothing anybody can do to stop it.

Just here at this forum alone, there’s players extremely over rated on account of this era (Crosby a top ten player of all time? lol) and when OV does something that was for a short period of time thought to be unbeatable, it’s going to make a lot of people upset.

I also have the belief Canadians, as a whole, think hockey is their sport and here a Russian born player suddenly swipes that title away with an outstanding career that topples the golden boy Gretzky, and I’m sorry, they sure don’t pay money to watch somebody accumulate secondary assists.

Goals for the win.

#GOOVIGO

 

[haseoke39]

When that moment comes, and it will, Ovechkin becomes the greatest player of all time and there’s nothing anybody can do to stop it.

Yawn. Top 10, maybe.

 

[MacMacandBarbie]

Lemieux has a season of scoring 69 in 70 games and scored 16 in 15 playoff games once. Even with adjusting goals, his goals per game is slightly higher than OV. There will always be an argument that a healthy lemieux is who most would take over OV for a playoff run, and will always be in that conversation for ‘best’ goal scorer.

Agree with others on the legacy aspect being a slightly different topic of conversation, and that getting the record will do wonders for his legacy just as Jagr being 2nd all time in points helped his legacy. Nobody considers him as ‘better’ than lemieux, but his career accomplishments can certainly be talked about in the same breath, just as OV’s career accomplishments in goal scoring will live on in time, long after he is gone.

 

[Zalos]

Ovechkin moving past Gretzky will have a huge impact on Ovi's legacy, yes. Nobody expected that record to be broken with the way scoring had gone down over time in hockey. It is very impressive.

As for Gretzky, this won't change anything about HIS legacy. He holds so many records and, in the end, he was better known for his passing and hockey IQ than scoring goals. Him holding that goalscoring record had to do with a combination of factors, including the stacked teamed he played on in Edmonton and better goalscorers not playing as many games as he did (Lemieux, Bossy, etc.).

I disagree with the people who said Ovechkin will be remembered more than Crosby, though. I think both of them will be remembered about equally, for different reasons. Sid would be far ahead of Ovi in points if he hadn't gotten injured.

 

[JellyRamp]

yes, duh. he isnt retiring til he breaks it

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

He won’t break it

 

[Weztex]

I’m going to laugh when Ovechkin breaks Gretzky record.

When that moment comes, and it will, Ovechkin becomes the greatest player of all time and there’s nothing anybody can do to stop it.

Just here at this forum alone, there’s players extremely over rated on account of this era (Crosby a top ten player of all time? lol) and when OV does something that was for a short period of time thought to be unbeatable, it’s going to make a lot of people upset.

I also have the belief Canadians, as a whole, think hockey is their sport and here a Russian born player suddenly swipes that title away with an outstanding career that topples the golden boy Gretzky, and I’m sorry, they sure don’t pay money to watch somebody accumulate secondary assists.

Goals for the win.

#GOOVIGO

You laugh at the thought that Crosby that could even be considered a top-10 player of all time then proceed to rank Ovechkin over a guy with 10 Art Ross and 9 Hart trophies because he scores one more goal than him.

In the same post...

 

[koyvoo]

Goals for the win.

Indeed. Dino Ciccarelli and Mike Gartner over Ron Francis and Adam Oates.

Oshie better than Backstrom, too.

No takebacks.

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

Ovechkin moving past Gretzky will have a huge impact on Ovi's legacy, yes. Nobody expected that record to be broken with the way scoring had gone down over time in hockey. It is very impressive.

As for Gretzky, this won't change anything about HIS legacy. He holds so many records and, in the end, he was better known for his passing and hockey IQ than scoring goals. Him holding that goalscoring record had to do with a combination of factors, including the stacked teamed he played on in Edmonton and better goalscorers not playing as many games as he did (Lemieux, Bossy, etc.).

I disagree with the people who said Ovechkin will be remembered more than Crosby, though. I think both of them will be remembered about equally, for different reasons. Sid would be far ahead of Ovi in points if he hadn't gotten injured.

Crosby is a great player but, outside of pens fans remembering his cups, what is so memorable about his career? Any significant records? Not really. 2 rosses which has been done by many players including his own team mate. 2 rockets is nothing memorable. 2 harts equalled/surpassed by many players including OV in his own era. There have been many "legacies" like Crosby: great captain, won individual trophies, won cups, best player in the game for a few years, etc. Happened many times before, will happen again. OV on the other hand will have the most goals ever, most rockets ever, most 50/45/40/30 goal seasons ever, most PPG goals ever, etc. That's a way bigger and more memorable legacy than whatever it is Crosby did.

 

[Rubi]

No. Gretzky will always be the greatest goal scorer in NHL history, even if Ovi ends up scoring more.
Frankly, I think Gretzky got more pleasure out of setting someone else up to score a goal than scoring it himself. He prided himself on being the games best playmaker in history.

 

[GordonGraham]

Of course breaking the record will greatly improve his legacy

 

[Zalos]

Crosby is a great player but, outside of pens fans remembering his cups, what is so memorable about his career? Any significant records? Not really. 2 rosses which has been done by many players including his own team mate. 2 rockets is nothing memorable. 2 harts equalled/surpassed by many players including OV in his own era. There have been many "legacies" like Crosby: great captain, won individual trophies, won cups, best player in the game for a few years, etc. Happened many times before, will happen again. OV on the other hand will have the most goals ever, most rockets ever, most 50/45/40/30 goal seasons ever, most PPG goals ever, etc. That's a way bigger and more memorable legacy than whatever it is Crosby did.

Well, looking at your avatar, I can see how unbiased you are in your examination.

Nobody gives a shit about most of the statistical records you lined up for Ovi. The one thing the average hockey fan will remember about him is if he moves past Gretzky's record. Crosby has a much bigger hockey legacy.

 

[Cubs2024wildcard]

You laugh at the thought that Crosby that could even be considered a top-10 player of all time then proceed to rank Ovechkin over a guy with 10 Art Ross and 9 Hart trophies because he scores one more goal than him.

In the same post...

Who cares about awards?

You are looking at statistical fact that when OV beats Gretzky in all time goals, it doesn’t matter if it’s 1 or 1000, goals being the most important aspect of hockey, OV is the GOAT.

Like it or not, there’s nothing anybody can do about it once OV breaks the record.

 

[Holymakinaw]

That literally makes no sense

........because it doesn't align with what YOU think? lol

The old man will either do it, or he won't. I'm going with won't.

 

[Cubs2024wildcard]

Indeed. Dino Ciccarelli and Mike Gartner over Ron Francis and Adam Oates.

Oshie better than Backstrom, too.

No takebacks.

Sorry, I’d take Dino and Gartner every day and twice on sundays over Francis and Oates.

Trottier over Bossy? lol

 

[Regal]

Crosby is a great player but, outside of pens fans remembering his cups, what is so memorable about his career? Any significant records? Not really. 2 rosses which has been done by many players including his own team mate. 2 rockets is nothing memorable. 2 harts equalled/surpassed by many players including OV in his own era. There have been many "legacies" like Crosby: great captain, won individual trophies, won cups, best player in the game for a few years, etc. Happened many times before, will happen again. OV on the other hand will have the most goals ever, most rockets ever, most 50/45/40/30 goal seasons ever, most PPG goals ever, etc. That's a way bigger and more memorable legacy than whatever it is Crosby did.

I just don’t understand this mentality. I mean, maybe it’s the case for casual sports fans or fans 60-70 years in the future, but people don’t forget players who were at the top of the league for years and years. Just look at the 90s nostalgia on this site for far less accomplished players. Plus, Ovechkin and Crosby are so linked as players (see this thread) that whatever benefits one’s legacy benefits them both

Who cares about awards?

You are looking at statistical fact that when OV beats Gretzky in all time goals, it doesn’t matter if it’s 1 or 1000, goals being the most important aspect of hockey, OV is the GOAT.

Like it or not, there’s nothing anybody can do about it once OV breaks the record.

This is the stupidest thing I’ve seen on this forum