What if Alex Ovechkin's record-setter gets challenged? NHL situation room is ready, with fingers crossed

MANALAPAN, Fla.

As the Gr8 Chase winds its way toward what the NHL hopes will be a thrilling conclusion, theres one thing that keeps senior league officials up at night.

The possibility that Alex Ovechkins record-breaking moment will be served with a side of controversy.

Goals are being challenged for video review at a higher rate than ever this season, and with the Capitals superstar seven goals shy of tying Gretzky and eight goals from passing his career total of 894, the NHL has done extensive planning for the record-breaker.

That includes conducting an internal call on Friday on which league officials discussed how the NHLs hockey operations department will go through the process of confirming goal No.

895 accounting for the possibility it might be subjected to a review amid all of the pomp, circumstance and excitement in the immediate aftermath of the puck entering the net.

Advertisement Weve got to treat it like any other goal, any other situation, Colin Campbell, the NHLs senior executive vice president of hockey operations, told The Athletic .

Nothing special.

Just do your job and be ready.

I know after the end therell be a lot of noise.

Its hard to protect yourself against passion.

That passion might reach a fever pitch in the event an apparent Ovechkin record-breaker is taken off the board by a controversial (and perhaps lengthy) review for goaltender interference.

Imagine having to put all of the enthusiasm back in the bottle after seeing Ovechkins Washington Capitals teammates pour off the bench to celebrate a moment more than three decades in the making? Hockey fans got a small glimpse into what that might be like last week when Nathan MacKinnon recorded what initially appeared to be his 1,000th career point early in a home game against Chicago, only to see the Martin Necas goal called back on an offside review after the entire Colorado Avalanche bench had already emptied.

MacKinnons teammates hit the ice for a second celebration when he later recorded the milestone point officially with an assist in the third period.

Then there was the unusual scene in last years inaugural PWHL championship series, when Minnesota had the potential Walter Cup-clinching goal in double overtime of Game 4 overturned for goaltender interference.

The Frost wound up losing that night to Boston before lifting the trophy with a Game 5 victory.

After having his department oversee the tense Canada-U.S.

final at the 4 Nations Face-Off last month, not to mention Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers in June, Campbell can identify with the stress around potentially adjudicating a make-or-break review with all eyes in the sport fixated on the outcome.

Advertisement Ive said that to (NHL commissioner Gary Bettman): I worried more than anything all day long about the final game of the 4 Nations, Campbell said.

That event had created so much passion and attention.

People werent going to look at the result and say, Its right or wrong.

Theyre just going to say, The NHL screwed up on that, because of the passion thats involved.

I feel the same pressure in the playoffs.

Game 7 last year with Florida and Edmonton, you just say, Just please, please, no reviews.' Needless to say, the same sentiment prevails with Ovechkin closing in on a once-unthinkable record thats been in Gretzkys possession since March 23, 1994.

Bettman and Gretzky are expected to start traveling to Capitals games once he gets within reach of setting a new milestone, to be part of the ceremony held to mark the occasion.

The one key difference between a do-or-die final and Ovechkins chase, according to Campbell, is that the Capitals captain will almost certainly claim the record eventually even if a review initially reverses an apparent record-breaking moment.

In overtime of a Game 7, an aggrieved team might not be so lucky.

Still, the NHL has made the determination that its hockey operations department will take the lead whenever Ovechkin finds himself one goal away.

That means none of the production elements or special plans will be unfurled until the window passes where an opponent can challenge his potential record-breaker and Campbells team has indicated that its a good goal.

In the meantime, all the NHL can do is sit back and watch as Ovechkin attempts to break the record before the end of this regular season.

Campbell and his senior staff Kris King, Kay Whitmore and Rod Pasma will be monitoring the games from the Toronto-based Situation Room and have no plans to travel to the arenas in person once Ovechkin has history in his grasp.

Were not doing anything special, Campbell said.

Well have enough people there.

Were not doing anything different, but obviously were watching every second.

(Photo of Alex Ovechkin and former Rangers goalie Alexandar Georgiev: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images).

This article has been shared from the original article on theathleticuk, here is the link to the original article.