Alex Ovechkin Did It...895

[Wind Gypsy]

I don't think it's weird at all. Guy broke a record that many thought would never be broken. It was a moment to celebrate not only the new record, but also the old record with Gretz being there, and celebrate the game itself. It's a record that may very well stand for another 30 years like the previous records but Gretz and Howe.
I had no issues with it.
And yes, he elected to stay on the bench the game prior when the Blackhawks had an empty net. After the Caps got an empty netter to go up by 2 the 'hawks put the goalie back in and Ovi went back out and rifled a few shots in the last couple minutes.

Not debating the significance of the record. What other parallels are there is sports where they shut a game down for a ceremony mid game?

 

[Chama Grande]

Not debating the significance of the record. What other parallels are there is sports where they shut a game down for a ceremony mid game?

 

[Wild Bill]

Not debating the significance of the record. What other parallels are there is sports where they shut a game down for a ceremony mid game?

You tube link wont work on this site, but they did similar when Drew Brees broke the passing yards record.
Also, when Bonds hit #756, and I believe also with #73. And they did it for MacGwire when he hit 62.
It's not farfetched, it's just a lot of these records aren't broken every year so the occurrences aren't as frequent.

 

[Wildabeest]

Not debating the significance of the record. What other parallels are there is sports where they shut a game down for a ceremony mid game?

There are no parallels to hockey!

 

[seeth07]

There are no parallels to hockey!

Just imagine how big the ceremony will need to be if a goalie ever matches Brodeur? Most thought this would never happen but I'll take the odds on Brodeur never being matched. Put me down for 10 million on that bet.

 

[Bonasababy]

Read that he passed up a freebie open net goal to pass Gretzky.

Gretzky needed goons cause he is a tiny little guy by NHL standards

And goon play was allowed back then, really can't compare the two eras in that regard. But in a sense that makes Ovi's accomplishment more amazing too, as defense and goalie play is a LOT better on average these days despite the cleaning up of goon behavior.

 

[Wildabeest]

Am I the only one that is weirded out by them stopping in the middle of an NHL game to roll out the carpet and have an award ceremony? Just odd to me.

My son manages the ice crew for the Hurricanes. He said it was insane the amount of prep they had to do for the remote possibility that he broke the record there a week prior. If he had, in addition to setting everything up for the ceremony, they had to make sure they saved all the game pucks, the nets and even panes of glass; among other things I can’t remember. They did a full rehearsal of the ceremony there as well.

Regardless, I thought the whole thing was well done in NY. The one thing I didn’t like was when Gretzky acknowledged the refs and the difficult job they have, and the fans booed.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

You tube link wont work on this site, but they did similar when Drew Brees broke the passing yards record.
Also, when Bonds hit #756, and I believe also with #73. And they did it for MacGwire when he hit 62.
It's not farfetched, it's just a lot of these records aren't broken every year so the occurrences aren't as frequent.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

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No denying that Ovi did it in an era that is much more difficult to score.