Wayne Gretzky admired Alex Ovechkin as the Washington Capitals star approaches his record of 894 NHL goals. Gretzky called Ovechkin and said he hoped to be the first to shake Ovechkin’s hand when the record was broken. Ovechkin is twenty-six goals shy of the milestone. He is currently sidelined with a leg injury but is expected to return this season. The NHL’s financial value continues to soar, with the average team now worth nearly $2 billion, according to CNBC valuations.