Wayne Gretzky, the legendary Canadian former hockey star, did not place Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin in his top three left wings for last season. A report from a respected hockey site noted Gretzky’s rankings as part of his role as an analyst.
In his current duties with TNT, Gretzky participates in evaluating players and nominating standout teams for the best performers of the 2022/23 season. His involvement adds a high-profile perspective to the voting process and season reviews that fans follow closely.
Jason Robertson of Dallas earned a spot on the first team at left wing, while Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers joined the second team. Ovechkin, representing Washington, received seven of the 192 votes cast by journalists, landing seventh in overall voting. The tally reflects a broad, journalist-driven assessment of top performers across the league.
Gretzky selected Robertson, Panarin, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Edmonton Oilers for the top trio, highlighting a mix of dynamic scorers and consistent contributors from the campaign that impressed national observers.
Ovechkin appeared in 73 regular-season games, contributing 42 goals and 33 assists. Despite his personal output, the Capitals fell short of a playoff berth, underscoring how team results still influence the perception of individual awards.
With 822 NHL goals to his name, Ovechkin remains one of the league’s most prolific scorers in history, while Gretzky stands ahead by a wider margin, reflecting the long arc of all-time scoring leadership. Canada continues to lead as a historic hotbed of scoring talent in the league’s annals.
The Flyers organization is noted for previously scouting a Russian player for its NHL signup considerations, illustrating the ongoing cross-border nature of talent recruitment and the global reach of the league.