Alex Ovechkin Completes his "Gr8 Chase"

By: Lucas Delgado

April 25th, 2025

Photo Credit: NHL Media

In sports, there are several special circumstances that can turn the most inconspicuous games into marquee attractions. Be it a player returning to compete against their former team, a sure fire hall of famer’s retirement tour, or the chance to see a record broken, certain moments can turn a regular matchup into an all-time spectacle. The last of those has unfolded in the NHL. Wayne Gretzky is lauded as the best player in NHL history, and his record of 894 goals was once thought to be unbreakable. Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals made the impossible happen, scoring his 894th goal against the Chicago Blackhawks to tie Gretzky, and scoring his 895th two days later against the New York Islanders to claim the record. Ovechkin’s record breaking accomplishment is one of the most impressive feats in modern sports, and the NHL is trying to take advantage.

Long before Ovechkin surpassing Gretzky was imminent, the NHL began to set the foundation for what felt like the inevitable. In late 2022, the league filed a trademark for ‘THE GR8 CHASE’, a play on Ovechkin’s number 8 and Gretzky’s nickname of ‘The Great One’. Almost two years later, as the 2024-25 season was underway, anticipation of Ovechkin breaking the record was beginning to heat up, attracting interest from fans and partners alike. Venture Global, a Virginia-based gas provider, partnered with the Capitals to have their branding attached to Capitals marketing related to The GR8 Chase. Marketing of the record pursuit has been a priority of the Capitals, who placed goal counters all across the D.C. area, as well as creating several fan activations both digitally and across Washington. VP of Marketing Amanda Tischler emphasized the local focus: “We knew when thinking about the (Washington area) and even across the world that people would want to be counting together, so digital is one thing, but there’s certainly something special about having the more traditional countdown clock, (the hope was) these different places across the city would have fun counting down until he hits this major milestone.”

While Washington’s marketing strategy stayed close to home, ticket prices surrounding Capital’s games suggested that The GR8 Chase had been a national event. The buildup to the record-breaking goal saw a steady ticket price increase, going from a $47 get in price for their game against the Detroit Red Wings on March 18 to $143 for a record-tying game against the Blackhawks. For the game against the Islanders, The GR8 Chase’s significance became clear, as get-in prices shot from $200 to $900 after Ovechkin tied the record. Even now, after Gretzky passed the torch to Ovechkin with a handshake, the Capitals are still working to generate hype around the record, opening an exclusive shop with products commemorating the historic moment. 

On all accounts, the GR8 Chase has generated a newfound buzz around hockey, which the NHL is looking to use as fuel to more widespread growth. The league has often struggled to reach the national spotlight, with their media rights deal causing several blackouts that make it harder to gain traction with a national viewing audience. Progress is starting to be made, as just days before Ovechkin broke the record, the NHL and Canadian TV provider Rogers struck a deal to allow more nationally broadcast games each season. With the GR8 Chase putting hockey in a spotlight it rarely sees in the US, it seems likely that the NHL will try to maintain the surge in interest by pursuing a similar deal with their media rights providers.