Alex Ovechkin is closing in on Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL goal scoring record, and now he's blamed Gary Bettman for not passing him yet. Over the past 20 years, Alex Ovechkin has solidified himself as arguably the greatest goal scorer in NHL history, but as we approach the 2024/25 campaign, he sits 41 goals short of officially passing Wayne Gretzky as the record holder. Given how he's played in recent years, it's very likely that he will pass him next year barring any injury, and the topic of this incredible record came up recently with Ovi. In the interview, he expressed that he would have passed it by now if not for Gary Bettman; <q>Alex Ovechkin says he would have already claimed the goal-scoring crown if not for the near two season's of games he's missed due to lockouts and the pandemic 💭</q> <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/BR_OpenIce/status/1816464225209925849'> </a></blockquote></div> He may not have called out the Commissioner by name, but Ovechkin reveals it was the pandemic season and the lockout year that has stopped him from passing Gretzky already, and given his incredible history scoring goals, it's hard to argue with him. At 38-years of age, time is running out for Ovechkin in the NHL, but many believe he will remain until he has that record, and once he passes it, there can truly be no denying who the best goal scorer in league history is. There's plenty of up and coming talent like Auston Matthews that will one day be chasing the record, but for now it's all about Ovechkin and Gretzky, and if not for Gary Bettman, that conversation would have been over years ago. Source: MarkerZone <a href='https://www.markerzone.com/news/index.php?no=409431&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2PkHft1T25hThLdjTpRegLMcLusAt17Up1W1wC7mUqbW2eqMc_uFEOnEg_aem_oVrsjJIhBCIkc6dc2Mofcw' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Alex Ovechkin calls out Gary Bettman for screwing him out of the goal record</a>