In a remarkable evening at Capital One Arena, 39-year-old Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals not only tied Wayne Gretzky’s legendary all-time record of 894 goals but also made a profound impact on a young fan’s life. Madison Smith, a 12-year-old cancer survivor, received a special gift from Ovechkin just before the Capitals’ game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Madison, who was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, was a special guest of Ovechkin’s “Gr8 Chase for Victory Over Cancer” initiative, designed to support pediatric cancer research. Madison expressed her astonishment as she recalled, ‘I didn’t even think. I was like, ‘Yeah, okay, thank you.’

During the pregame festivities, Madison watched from the bench, toured the arena, and even interacted with players as they warmed up. ‘I was like, ‘Wow, I’m the star today,’’ she said, highlighting the joy she felt in the moment.

Ovechkin’s achievement came when he scored two goals against the Blackhawks, with his first goal occurring just three minutes into the game. The excitement was magnified by the presence of Gretzky, who witnessed Ovechkin tie his longstanding goal record in person.

In support of pediatric cancer initiatives, Ovechkin, in collaboration with Hockey Fights Cancer and the V Foundation, is pledging one dollar for each of his career goals scored while also encouraging fans to contribute through donations, stating that every effort counts in the fight against cancer.

‘This gave her one more uplifting thing to keep her moving forward,’ said Kim Smith, Madison’s mother. ‘It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be able to come down here and be on the ice, watching the players.’ 

As of now, Ovechkin stands ready to potentially break Gretzky’s record, needing just one more goal before the end of the regular season, with seven games left to play. Ovechkin will face road challenges against prominent teams as he continues his race against time to achieve this historic milestone.