Hockey players Yakubov and Myshkin noted the importance of Ovechkin's future record
When Russian hockey player and Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin surpasses Canadian athlete Wayne Gretzky, a new record is unlikely to be beaten for many decades. On April 5, Soviet and Russian hockey player, forward Ravil Yakubov, told Izvestia.
"First of all, it's important for Sasha, and secondly, I think that hardly anyone will be able to break this record for many decades, because [you need] to be in the top for 20 years, plus or minus, to be at the top," he said.
According to him, an athlete who will strive to break the record must avoid injury. The hockey player clarified that it also depends on whether you have enough health or not.
Yakubov compared Ovechkin to nine-time world champion in road and circuit motorcycle racing in various classes and one of the most successful motorcycle racers in the history of Valentino Rossi. He stressed that the motorcycle racer had been second and third for several years and had been at the top for about 15 years.
"This is, of course, a global achievement. Beating Gretzky's own record and <...> in the other half of the field, as they say, is worth a lot. This is generally a great thing for a Russian, for a man who grew up and was brought up at Dynamo, who emphasizes his belonging to the club, belonging to Russia," said Vladimir Myshkin, Olympic champion, USSR champion in the Dynamo Moscow hockey club.
He clarified that the entire sports community and beyond are waiting for Ovechkin to surpass Gretzky's record. According to him, the success of the Russian was influenced by proper upbringing, as well as genes, since his mother Tatiana Ovechkina is a two-time Olympic champion, world champion and six-time European champion in basketball.
"Probably, after all, he was also influenced by the fact that he was brought up in our society, where he was instilled with such qualities as hard work, determination, and the ability to play for the team. What a talent. It's just that the pucks don't score, I'll tell you how the goalkeeper does," Myshkin added.
He clarified that he met Ovechkin when he worked for the Russian national team. At the same time, Ovechkin had already come to the world championships from the National Hockey League (NHL). Myshkin noted that he was always amazed by the indomitable energy of the hockey player and his desire to always win everything.
Earlier that day, in a match against HC Chicago, Ovechkin scored his 894th goal in the National Hockey League (NHL) regular season and repeated Wayne Gretzky's sniper record. The Canadian hockey player personally congratulated the Russian player on repeating his record for NHL goals. The athletes also took a photo together in the locker room after the match.
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