Datsyuk makes a big demand of Ovechkin before he's allowed to return to Russia
Photo credit: NHL
Pavel Datsyuk does not want Ovechkin to stop playing in the NHL, and demands that his friend score at least 1000 goals, and chase down more NHL records, for most goals, most hits, and most games played.
Datsyuk, a former Detroit Red Wings superstar and longtime Russian national-team teammate of Ovi's, wants his friend to score 1000 goals.
"I think everyone is waiting for Ovi to score 1000 goals in the NHL championship," Datsyuk told Match TV's Pavel Lysenkov. "Until then, we won't let him into Russia."
Ovechkin will go into the 2025-26 season, his last, 3 goals shy from being the first player in NHL history to reach 900 goals, and is only 9 games from being the 23rd player to ever play 1500 games.
When you put it that way, it seems Ovi's work in the NHL is not yet done.
"A new goal, the thousandth goal," Datsyuk added, " that is motivation."
Ovechkin could potentially reach 1000 goals, if he continues to score at his current career goal-per-game rate of 0.60, and plays until he reaches 1662 games played, 171 more games, or 3 more seasons. He would be approaching 43 years old.
In addition, Ovechkin stands to knock-down more records, if he were to play just 1 more season and reach new milestones: Sole possession of most 50-goal seasons (needs 1 more to reach 10), and most hits in NHL history (286 more) - he is currently 3rd overall.
Datsyuk is part of the 2024 class of the Hockey Hall of Fame, and retired from pro hockey in 2021, after 5 years in the KHL, where he played following his career with the Red Wings.
Pavel Datsyuk signed a 1-day NHL contract with Detroit in 2024, so as to officially retire as a member of that team.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 8 | 39 ANSWERS Datsyuk makes a big demand of Ovechkin before he's allowed to return to Russia How likely is it, even if Ovi did play 3 more seasons, that he would score 1000 career goals. | ||
| Very likely | 21 | 53.8 % |
| Somewhat likely | 13 | 33.3 % |
| Not likely at all | 5 | 12.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
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