Mike Knuble played alongside both Gretzky and Ovechkin

Alex Ovechkin is getting closer and closer to breaking Wayne Gretzky’s incredible all-time goal record. They’re two true legends of the game, but they come from different eras. However, only one player in NHL history was fortunate enough to be teammates with both: “I get to be one of the funny trivia answers!” Mike Knuble told ESPN. “Got to put that in Trivial Pursuit or a bar game or something,” he said, laughing.

Many believed that Wayne Gretzky’s incredible NHL records would last forever. But now, one of the most prestigious ones is poised to be broken. Alex Ovechkin has scored at an astonishing pace year after year, and at 39, he still proves to be an elite goal scorer. Wayne Gretzky scored 894 goals in 1,487 games. Ovechkin is now less than 20 goals away from catching The Great One, and if he keeps scoring at this pace, he will break the record before the season is over.

Ovechkin getting closer to Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky is the greatest hockey player of all time, and his NHL points record will likely never be broken. But Ovechkin is perhaps the best goal scorer ever, and when he eventually breaks the record, it will be tough to argue against that statement. Both Gretzky and Ovechkin are undoubtedly legends of the game, and together, they’ve played in nearly 3,000 games. Both had long and incredible careers, and Ovechkin’s first NHL game came just six years after Gretzky’s final one. But only one player in NHL history can say he was teammates with both The Great One and The Great Eight.

Mike Knuble played 16 seasons in the NHL, and when speaking to ESPN, he had no idea he was the only link between the two greats. He was 26 and playing for the Rangers when Wayne Gretzky played his final season. He also played three seasons with the Capitals from 2009 to 2012.
“I just felt so fortunate to play with them. They’re both such superstars,” he told ESPN.

Mike Knuble played with both greats

Today, Mike Knuble coaches youth hockey in Michigan. He says playing with Ovechkin and Gretzky makes for a great cocktail party story. He remembers thinking that Ovi might have a chance at cracking the top three for most goals.
“If he stayed healthy, with the way he finishes… could he be second or third all-time? And then he stayed really healthy and kept playing well,” Knuble said. “He’s always been blessed with great health on the ice, where nothing super fluky happened to him. But the most impressive thing about him is his longevity.”

Knuble is grateful to have played alongside such great players in his career. He’s full of praise for both, not just for their skill on the ice, but for the way they’ve handled things off it as well.

Wayne was very good at being an ambassador of the game. He knew that it’s super inconvenient for him, but he’s going to do it with a smile on his face. He’s not going to bitch about it. It’s his job to move the game forward,” he said. “Alex is pretty good about that stuff too. And it was hard for him. He’s not North American, but certainly, Alex has been a great ambassador of the game here.”

And when Ovechkin eventually breaks the record, Mike Knuble can take pride in one thing: the gifts he received from both during his playing days.
“I was on the ice with both. Got sticks signed by both. Got to say that I spent time with each of them,” he said. “Again, I just feel so fortunate.”

READ MORE: Wayne Gretzky refused to give Alex Ovechkin a game-used stick