Wayne Gretzky honored two of the greatest goal scorers in NHL history Sunday afternoon.
Yes, Gretzky was on hand as Alex Ovechkin broke his goal-scoring record of 894. But Gretzky also honored Mr. Hockey himself.
The Great One wore a No. 9 red pin over the left side of his chest, the number of Gordie Howe.
Gretzky held the record for 31 years until Ovechkin scored his 895th career goal, a power-play goal, against the New York Islanders on a massive wrist shot at 12:34 of the second period on Long Island.
Gretzky broke Howe’s 801 goals record March 23, 1994 against the Vancouver Canucks.
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Gretzky said to NHL.com this week he doesn’t remember exactly what Howe said to him other than, “I’m proud of you.”
The red pin was visible on TV as Gretzky spoke on the ice as the game paused to recognize history.
“Alex, I said I’d be the first guy to shake your hand when you broke the record. And I wore this pin to honor Gordie,” Gretzky said touching it then embracing Ovechkin.
Howe died in 2016 at 88 years old. His 801 goals remain third in NHL history.
Howe known simply as Mr. Hockey saw his career span five decades and 2,421 games. He practically is synonymous with the Red Wings, playing for them from 1946 to 1971. They won Stanley Cup championships in 1950, 1952, 1954 and 1955.
A statue of Howe graces the concourse at Little Caesars Arena and The Gordie Howe International Bridge is set to be completed in 2025, connecting Detroit to Windsor, Canada across the Detroit River.
Gretzky also mentioned Howe’s wife, Colleen, who he said gave his wife, Janet, “a beautiful gift and a wonderful note” when he scored goal No. 802.
“And we know how the legacy of hockey passes down,” Gretzky said. “But so it does with the families and the wives. So my wife has something very beautiful for his lovely wife that we want to pass on.”