Alexander Ovechkin just did the unthinkable. He passed Wayne Gretzky to become the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, netting his 895th with the kind of grit, consistency, and sniper precision that defines greatness.
And yet, no true fan — of Ovechkin or Gretzky — can celebrate this milestone without choking a little on the irony.
Because while Ovechkin’s stick shattered a sacred record, his politics have shattered hearts. The Capitals captain remains unflinchingly loyal to Vladimir Putin, even as the Russian president wages a genocidal war against Ukraine—burning cities, burying civilians, and staining history with blood.
Meanwhile, the Great One’s halo isn’t exactly gleaming. Gretzky has wrapped himself in the MAGA flag, turning his back on the country that gave him everything. He fawns over Trump, overlooking how this narcissistic bully has mocked Canada, menaced NATO, and cosplayed as a wannabe emperor. To many Canadians, Gretzky is now their own Benedict Arnold.
So you’re conflicted — whether you’re celebrating Ovechkin’s rise or lamenting Gretzky’s fall. After all, we have a Putin apologist who’s a Russian legend dethroning a Trump groupie who’s a Canadian icon.
But at least Ovechkin knows Russians were cheering their hearts out. By contrast, Gretzky knows he’s broken so many Canadian hearts that they were cheering for Ovechkin louder than anyone outside Russia.