Jagr congratulates Ovechkin on milestone, issues playful warning originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Jaromir Jagr is no sore loser, but the hockey legend left Alex Ovechkin with a light-hearted, cautionary message after the Capitals star passed him for the third-most goals in NHL history Tuesday night with No. 767.
“Alex, the Great 8, congratulations, now you become the leading NHL goal-scorer among European players,” Jagr said in a video aired at Capital One Arena. “But keep scoring, keep scoring, because as you know, I didn’t retire from hockey yet and there is a chance I might come back to the NHL and start chasing you.”
Ovechkin, who had already passed Marcel Dionne (731) and Brett Hull (741) on the all-time goals list this season, notched the historic score with just under four minutes left in the third period of a 2-2 game against the New York Islanders. Former teammate Semyon Varlamov was in net for New York, unable to stop the puck as it flew over his left shoulder.
With the goal, Ovechkin now trails only Gordie Howe (801) and Wayne Gretzky (894) for the most ever.