Alexander Ovechkin and Wayne Gretzky without question are among the greatest NHL players of all time, but which of the two most prolific goal scorers in league history is best at putting the puck in the back of the net in a virtual setting?
That question will be answered next week, as Ovi and “The Great One” are set to square off in a showdown on EA Sports’ “NHL 20.” The news of the video game battle was unveiled by the Capitals, among other media outlets, via social media.
“The Great One vs. The Great Eight” matchup, to be held next Wednesday night, will consist of a best-of-three showdown. The event will be livestreamed on the Capitals’ Twitch channel.
Fans will be able to make charitable contributions during the “NHL 20” series, with all proceeds benefiting the Edmonton Food Bank and D.C.’s Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s Feeding the Frontlines fund to provide much-needed relief amid the coronavirus pandemic.
It turns out the virtual showdown was the brainchild of Gretzky, who of course is the NHL’s all-time goals leader with 894. Ovechkin lags behind Gretkzy’s record by 188 goals.
“There’s been so much talk about the goal record, so there’s a nice link between Alex and myself,” Gretzky recently told The Washington Post. “I thought we could do something that people could watch and help raise money for those who need it.”
Gretzky apparently was inspired to arrange the video game tourney after seeing Ovechkin playing “NHL 20” with toddler son Sergei.
“We always stay in touch,” Ovechkin said of Gretzky, via Russian Machine Never Breaks. “It doesn’t matter if there’s a milestone coming up, he’s always reaching out to me and saying congrats. Before my 700th goal, I was a little down and he texted me and said, ‘Don’t worry about it, it will come.’ It’s nice of him. He’s a great person, and to have a relationship like that with The Great One, it means a lot to me.”
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