As Washington Capitals enormous title Alex Ovechkin closes in on Wayne Gretzky’s all-time dreams legend, the Giant One told CNBC he has nothing nonetheless admiration for the participant who might maybe perchance well even soon dethrone him.

“Alex has been distinctive for our sport,” Gretzky stated on CNBC’s “Deliver Field” on Thursday. “I’m hoping I am the significant guy to shake his hand when he does smash the legend.”

Gretzky added that each one records have to reach to an discontinuance.

“That’s development in our sport,” he stated.

Gretzky spoke to CNBC as the sport he played a pivotal feature in building turns into a interesting better enterprise. The frequent NHL group is now price with regards to $2 billion in accordance with CNBC’s Decent Valuations released on Wednesday.

“Our sport is an increasing number of precious,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told “Deliver Field” on Wednesday.

Ovechkin, whose rivalry with fellow all-time gargantuan Sidney Crosby helped to fuel the sport’s growth within the 2010s, has created extra intrigue this season alongside with his pursuit of Gretzky’s legend.

Gretzky made historical previous as the NHL’s all-time main aim scorer on Mar. 23, 1994, surpassing Gordie Howe’s legend.

Thirty years later, Ovechkin is closing in on breaking Gretzky’s legend of 894 dreams, with 26 extra to straggle. On Tuesday, the Capitals announced their captain might maybe be out “week to week” after struggling a leg damage, nonetheless he’s anticipated to reach this season.

Gretzky told CNBC that on the time he broke Howe’s all-time scoring legend, he felt embarrassed to pause his idol’s milestone.

“No longer excellent was as soon as he the kind of gargantuan participant, he was as soon as the kind of gentleman,” Gretzky stated.

Gretzky’s dad told him that anyone will smash his legend one day.

“I checked out my dad and stated, ‘Nicely can I revel on this for acceptable a couple days?'” Gretzky stated.

Gretzky played 20 seasons within the National Hockey League for four assorted groups. By the point he retired, he gathered 61 NHL records, four Stanley Cups and 18 All-Significant individual appearances. However the hockey gargantuan stated he by no methodology cared about the records.

“I by no methodology played and belief about the records themselves. I was as soon as fortunate ample to play on some gargantuan groups and in some gargantuan cities. I ceaselessly enlighten people it was as soon as an honor and a privilege to play within the National Hockey League,” Gretzky stated.

He stated his aggressive streak and searching to be his excellent every evening drove him.

“If I scored two dreams that evening, I needed to salvage three,” he added.

As he watches Ovechkin shut in on a legend many belief might maybe perchance well even by no methodology fall, Gretzky counseled Bettman, the group owners and players for making the sport higher.

“I mediate our sport is stronger, better, and better on the unique time than it be ever been,” he added.

Gretzky stated the important thing to rising the sport is through childhood pattern. He has partnered with YardRink, a small company in Massachusetts, which permits households to beget their beget rinks of their yard.

Gretzky stated his beget dad built him a yard rink when he was as soon as young, which helped him launch within the sport.

“When we’re talking about rising and rising our sport, getting young people an opportunity to play is a sizable share of this,” he added.