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Oilers Organization Throws Shade After Ovechkin Surpasses Gretzky's Goal Record


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Daniel Lucente
April 7, 2025  (9:35)
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Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin skates by Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid
Photo credit: Edit from Daily Faceoff

Alex Ovechkin made history when he surpassed Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL goal record, and the Oilers organization did not have a great reaction to it all.

Though the Edmonton Oilers themselves were quite low-key in their response, their all-time great alum Wayne Gretzky had nothing but class in recognizing Alexander Ovechkin's record-breaking goal-scoring milestone, going so far as to deliver a touching speech in his tribute.

Every single team but the Oilers congratulated Ovechkin on social media

Ovechkin's milestone was celebrated throughout the NHL, with the Washington Capitals posting a tribute video of congratulatory messages from each club, minus one. The Edmonton Oilers were noticeably missing from the list.
Curiously, the Oilers' social media accounts were active during this time, posting roster news and other team news, but nothing regarding Ovechkin's milestone.
There are some who wonder if perhaps the team chose to allow Gretzky, still an ambassador for the Oilers and the league, to respond on their behalf.
Still, fans could not help but notice the silence. To many, it came off as a petty or even bitter omission, especially considering that Ovechkin's record broke one of Gretzky's most iconic records.
Whereas it's natural that Edmontonians would be torn seeing one of their own being passed in the record books, Gretzky's gracious reaction established how the moment needed to be received.
His legacy is still intact, with assist and point records that will probably endure eternally.
Conversely, the Oilers' failure to publicly acknowledge Ovechkin has been largely viewed as a blunder, one that doesn't speak well of the sportsmanship one would expect from such a glorious franchise.
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Oilers Organization Throws Shade After Ovechkin Surpasses Gretzky's Goal Record

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