Alex Ovechkin and Wayne Gretzky came from different eras and never skated against each other in their primes, which certainly would have been entertaining. But next week, two of the biggest stars in hockey history will compete in another way.
Ovechkin and Gretzky will face off in a best-of-three series in the hockey video game “NHL 20” on April 22 at 8 p.m., and the livestream on the Washington Capitals’ Twitch channel will raise money for coronavirus relief efforts.
Viewers will be asked to donate to the Monumental Sports and Entertainment Foundation and the Edmonton Food Bank, The Washington Post reported.
Gretzky had the idea for the competition after seeing a video on social media of Ovechkin playing “NHL 20.” He will team up with his 19-year-old son Tristan, while Ovechkin will play alongside Caps Gaming’s official streamer John Casagranda, gamer tag “JohnWayne.”
In addition, Ovechkin and Gretzky recorded a joint interview for the first time, which NBC Sports Network will air Monday at 5 p.m.
Ever since Ovechkin won his first Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018, talk about his legacy has shifted to whether he can catch Gretzky and set a new NHL record for career goals. Gretzky finished his career with 894; Ovechkin, 34, sat at 706 when the NHL season was suspended due to the pandemic.
The record is sure to be one of the main topics of their joint interview. In the past, Gretzky has said he’ll be “the first guy there to shake his hand” if Ovechkin breaks the record.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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