Around the boards: Will the Great Eight pass the Great One?

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There are storylines aplenty for the NHLs 2024-25 season, perhaps topped by the debut of the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off in February.

But when it comes to individuals, the biggest number of note is The Great Eight.

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is on the verge of what previously was thought to be an impossible quest breaking Wayne Gretzkys all-time record of 894 goals.

Ovechkin is at 853, which leaves him 41 shy and you should note hes scored at least 42 in a season 13 times in his previous 19 campaigns.

Washington Capitals left winger Alex Ovechkin had a down year last season with only 31 goals after a terrible start.

He might need two more seasons to break goals scored record.

But when he gets close, the league is ready to blow up the quest.

The 39-year-old had a down year last season with only 31 goals after a terrible start.

He might need two more seasons to break the record.

But when he gets close, the league is ready to blow up the quest.

Its on the top of our list in terms of potential events that we want to promote and make sure dont slip under the radar screen, deputy commissioner Bill Daly told reporters at the NHL Player Media Tour in Las Vegas prior to training camp.

And some people have kind of suggested that because Alex is Russian that somehow this should be marginalized in some way.

We couldnt disagree more with that.

Hes been a terrific ambassador for our game for 20 years now, and his enthusiasm for the game and passion for the game is infectious.

And hes done a lot to lift the tide for the league and for all players during his tenure.

New Sabres forward Beck Malenstyn had an up-close view of Ovechkin the last six years at training camp and had some glimpses while playing 24 games with the Caps from 2020-23.

But last year, he got full-time duty as an NHL player for the first time when he played 81 games with Washington.

And he took good notes.

Its something that Im very, very glad I didnt take for granted, Malenstyn said during Sabres training camp.

I think the best way to put it is there were times where I had to pinch myself, sitting there having dinner with him, sitting in the room with him, on the plane with him.

You just really respect the body of work that hes put into the game, the success hes been able to have and what hes accomplished.

And then you take the person that he is away from the ice, and hes just so welcoming to everybody that comes in the room.

Hes just a light-hearted individual that keeps it fun around the rink and thats the recipe for him playing so long and being so successful.

A slapshot with heavy stick flex from the left circle has become a trademark of Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, who starts the season 41 goals shy of tying Wayne Gretzkys all-time record of 894.

Malenstyn said most NHL players can barely process the kind of numbers Ovechkin has compiled.

Its astronomical.

You look at how he performed at the start of his career and 40-50 goals was just normal every time, Malenstyn said.

It just makes it really exciting.

It seemed like every game there was a new record being broken.

The fact that hes been able to maintain that for as long as he has, as the game has changed and evolved, shows hes found different ways to score.

You see him around the net a lot more now, finding those kind of gritty goals along with the highlight reel ones that he can put together.

Its truly something special.

This is a number very few people thought would get touched.

Ovechkin has downplayed the record in most interviews in recent months, insisting hes too far away from it to be a main focus of his attention.

His go-to reaction to the many inquiries? Well see.

While Ovechkins quest is worthy of perhaps the biggest headlines, heres what else to see during the 2024-25 season: Four nations to square off For the first time since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, were finally going to have a best-on-best tournament.

The season will be shut down from Feb.

10-21 for the inaugural NHL 4 Nations Face-Off, which will be held in Bostons TD Garden and Montreals Bell Centre.

For this year, it will replace the All-Star Game.

As the name suggests, only four nations are playing and thats the USA, Canada, Sweden and Finland.

Russia and Ovechkin are out.

So are Germany (Leon Draisaitl, JJ Peterka) and Czechia (David Pastrnak).

But how juicy is it going to be to see Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby as teammates for the first time with Team Canada? Or Jack Eichel and Auston Matthews reunited for the first time since that iconic Team North America stole the World Cup show in 16? For Sabres connections, you would imagine Rasmus Dahlin will be selected by Sweden.

Could Tage Thompson or Alex Tuch crack a deep roster and join Eichel on Team USA? How about Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen pairing with Juuse Saros in goal for Finland? Henri Jokiharju on the Finnish defense? Or Owen Power on the blueline for Team Canada? All games will be on ABC/ESPN and TNT in the United States.

The tourney starts in Montreal, with Canada vs.

Sweden on Feb.

12, USA vs.

Finland on Feb.

13 and a blockbuster Feb.

15 doubleheader: Finland-Sweden and USA-Canada.

Teams then move to Boston for a Feb.

17 twin bill: Cananda-Finland and Sweden-USA.

The championship game is there Feb.

20 at 8 p.m.

The NHL schedule quickly resumes on Feb.

22, so the two teams in the final will return some tired players to their clubs, who may have to consider some extra rest and games off for their top guys.

New name ahead? The NHL finally took care of its Arizona Coyotes problem and will have something called the Utah Hockey Club playing in the Yotes place in the Central Division.

But thats only going to be for one year.

Utah ownership has been hard at work on the process of getting a team name and logo set for the 2025-26 season, and the scuttlebutt has Utah Yetis at the head of the list.

The Hockey Club is playing its games at the Delta Center, the longtime home of the NBAs Utah Jazz, and the building is being retrofitted for hockey over the next couple of off seasons.

Until that takes place, there are some obstructed-view seats and there will be walls behind the nets until a lower level built for hockey can be added in the summer.

This years capacity will be 11,131 and the goal is to get the building up to about 17,000 over the next three years.

The season opens Oct.

8 at home against Chicago.

Utah makes its first trip to Buffalo for a Dec.

7 matinee and the Sabres make their debut there on March 20 as part of a road trip that includes stops in Minnesota and Winnipeg.

Milestone goals, non-Ovechkin division Road to 600: Pittsburghs Crosby is at 592 and Nashvilles Steven Stamkos is at 555 (and yes, Nashville sounds weird for the longtime Tampa Bay captain).

Road to 500: Pittsburghs Evgeni Malkin is at 498 and Detroits Patrick Kane, the pride of South Buffalo, is at 471.

Kane needs 20 to get to 491 and tie Jean Ratelle (1960-81) for 50th all-time on the NHL list.

Road to 400: Theres a big list that could join this club this season or next.

It includes Dallas Jamie Benn (383) Torontos Auston Matthews (368), old friend Jeff Skinner of Edmonton (357), Dallas Tyler Seguin (351), Ottawas Claude Giroux (350), Bostons David Pasternak (348), Edmontons Leon Draisaitl (347), Dallas Matt Duchene (341), Edmontons McDavid (335) and Colorados Nathan MacKinnon (335).

Other milestones 1,600 points: Crosby is at 1,596 and Ovechkin is at 1,550.

1,300 points: Malkin is at 1,296 and Kane is at 1,284, just 107 away from tying Brett Hulls record for an American-born player of 1,391.

1,000 games: Nashville defenseman Luke Schenn is first on this list for this season at 996.

Next is Vancouver defenseman Tyler Myers at 995, who played the first 365 of his career with the Sabres from 2009-14, including his run to the 2010 Calder Trophy.

When Myers, now 34, plays in No.

1,000, it will mark 365 for him with the Canucks.

Philadelphias Erik Johnson, who spent the first five months of last season with the Sabres, is at 987.

Zucker's resume includes 697 regular-season games across 13 years, 52 playoff games, six seasons of 20-plus goals and, as important, a laundry list of former teammates who speak highly of him.

1,000 points: McDavid is at 982 and will become the third-fastest player in history to reach the mark.

Others in reach this season: Bostons Brad Marchand (929), Dallas Benn (907) and Colorados MacKinnon (899).

400 goalie wins: Floridas Sergei Bobrovsky is at 396 and New York Rangers Jonathan Quick is at 393.

300 goalie wins: There are four players that can get there this year.

Carolinas Frederik Andersen is at 295, Tampa Bays Andrei Vasilevskiy is at 293, New York Islanders Semyon Varlamov is at 286 and Winnipegs Connor Hellebuyck is at 275.

One for the road Minnesota goalie Marc-Andre Fleury signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal in April and announced that this will be the last season of a career that dates to when he was taken first overall in the iconic 2003 draft.

Fleury has 561 wins, second on the all-time list to Martin Brodeurs 691, and is 12th all-time with 75 shutouts.

With No.

1 goalies playing fewer games these days, you wonder if he could be the last goalie to get to 500 wins.

Games to watch Season openers: The October 8 ESPN tripleheader that starts the season is headlined by the Florida Panthers hosting their Stanley Cup banner-raising prior to their game against Boston.

It opens with St.

Louis at Seattle and concludes with the Chicago-Utah inaugural.

Johnny Gaudreau tributes: Columbus will pay tribute to its fallen star prior to its Oct.

15 home opener against Florida.

Theres likely to be plenty of emotion when the Blue Jackets play Calgary, Gaudreaus former team, on Nov.

29 at home and again Dec.

3 in the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Stanley Cup rematches: The Panthers return to Edmonton to meet the Oilers on Dec.

16 and host them on Feb.

27, in Edmontons first return to Amerant Bank Arena since its Game 7 defeat.

That game is on ESPN-Plus and Hulu.

Shouldnt the NHL put that kind of marquee matchup on one of its over-the-air network packages? The Frozen Frenzy: All 32 teams play on the same day for the only time this season on Tuesday, Oct.

22.

There are staggered start times from 6-11 p.m.

ET, with the Sabres getting a 7 p.m.

faceoff for their home game against Dallas.

The national games on ESPN at Washington at Philadelphia (6 p.m.), Colorado at Seattle (8:30) and Los Angeles at Vegas (11 p.m.) Global Series Finland: The Panthers meet the Dallas Stars, who will make their debut outside North America, on Nov.

1-2 in Tampere, Finland.

You wonder if theres a chance these teams could meet in the Stanley Cup final.

Sabres on hand for a Jumbo Night: The San Jose Sharks will retire Joe Thorntons No.

19 prior to their home game against the Sabres on Nov.

23.

Matthews vs.

McDavid: The Toronto-Edmonton games, which are always must-see TV, are Nov.

16 in Toronto and Feb.

1 in Edmonton.

Connor Bedard vs.

Macklin Celebrini: The last two No.

1 overall picks go head to head when Chicago meets San Jose Oct.

17 in United Center and out West on Oct.

31 and March 13 in SAP Center.

Outdoor games: Chicagos Wrigley Field gets its second chance to host the NHL Winter Classic when the Blackhawks meet the St.

Louis Blues on New Years Eve.

The Hawks beat Detroit in 2009 at Wrigley and lost to St.

Louis in the 2017 game in Busch Stadium.

Columbus hosts its first outdoor game when the Blue Jackets stage the Stadium Series at Ohio Stadium on the campus of Ohio State against Detroit on March 1.

One that wont happen: No return game for Lindy Ruff in New Jersey as the Sabres wont visit Prudential Center in Newark this season.

Buffalos lone road game against New Jersey will be Saturdays matchup in Prague.

The last time the Sabres didnt meet a team both home and away in a non-Covid season was when they didnt host the New York Rangers in 2017; Buffalos lone home game that year against the Blueshirts was at Citi Field in Queens for the NHL Winter Classic.

Random questions 1.

How big of a step back do the Panthers and Oilers take after a short offseason filled with roster defections? 2.

How long does it take new coach Craig Berube to erupt on the Leafs for lax play or on the Toronto media for badgering him about it? 3.

How much more shilling for the Ottawa Senators as a playoff team will the Canadian broadcast media give us once the puck is actually dropped? 4.

With Stamkos gone to Nashville, is this the season the Tampa Bay Lightning finally start to age out and join the likes of Pittsburgh and Washington as former champions on the outside of the playoffs? Get in the game with our Prep Sports Newsletter Sent weekly directly to your inbox! Sports Columnist {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items..

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