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Gary Bettman Officially Considering Major Rule Change After Alex Ovechkin Broke Wayne Gretzky's Record

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Tom Banks | Last updated Apr 9, 2025 11:21 AM ET

One key rule in the NHL's CBA is that owners won't give their players benefits outside a salary, but after Alexander Ovechkin made history, Gary Bettman may change that.

All eyes have been on the Washington Capitals and Alex Ovechkin in recent times, and on Sunday, he officially passed Wayne Gretzky with goal number 895, making him the top goal scorer in NHL history.

The Great One for the second straight game was in attendance, celebrating the record as Gordie Howe once did when he passed the record, and in the locker room after the game, he hinted that he'd love to give Gretzky a Rolls Royce that he was gifted in recent times.

Unfortunately, the NHL's Collective Bargaining Agreement forbids owners to give their players benefits outside their contract, so when Ovechkin looked to the Capitals owner, he pointed to Gary Bettman and said ask him.

In response, Bettman was in a jovial mood, joking that he could look to skirt the rule for this historic occasion, playing up to the celebratory mood in the locker room for the cameras.

"We're gonna talk."

Clearly, this isn't something that Bettman could or would change, as it would create a competitive imbalance in the league, but in the moment, he wanted to keep things light and fun with Ovi, Gretzky and the other stars in attendance, so he made this joke.

It was all fun and games, but now that the record has been broken, Ovechkin will look to pile on and make the record even harder to break for the next top star coming through the league, and with the Stanley Cup Playoffs right around the corner, there's a week or two for celebration before the intensity gets turned up in a big way in Washington.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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