Washington Capitals announced Tom Wilson recorded the primary assist on Alex Ovechkin’s record-breaking 895th goal Sunday, putting his name alongside his captain in NHL history.
The 30-year-old forward, known primarily for his physical play, found himself in a historic moment when Ovechkin surpassed Wayne Gretzky’s 31-year-old scoring record.
Wilson expressed his emotions after the game.
“It’s not about me,” Wilson said. “It makes me a little bit emotional just because I think so much of him. To be able to be beside him forever in a big goal, I feel very lucky, I feel very honored to be a part of that. It’s not about me at all. I’m just really proud. I love that guy, I love his family, and I’m really proud of him.”
Ovechkin broke the record with a wrist shot during the second period against the New York Islanders.
Wilson’s memory of the moment became hazy after making the pass.
“I just tried to find him on the entry there, and then when I was skating to the net and the puck went in the net, the next 15 seconds I truly kind of blacked out,” Wilson said. “I’ve got to watch it back because I don’t remember what happened. It was just chaos.”
The game paused for a ceremony including Ovechkin’s family and Gretzky following the goal.
“It’s the biggest goal in the history of the NHL,” Wilson said. “To be in here with all our best friends and a great captain, a great teammate, a great friend, I’m just so proud of him. I’m so happy for him. He’s done so much for all of us, all of our careers. This organization, this city, his family, all our families. It’s just truly special to be a part of, and I’m just so, so happy for him.”
Wilson added, “It will be the honor of my career to play with ‘O,’ learn so much from him, win with him, watch him score this goal. There’s really no words to describe it.”
The 6’4″ Wilson has played with the Capitals since 2013-14 and won the Stanley Cup with Ovechkin in 2018.
He currently plays on Washington’s top line alongside Ovechkin and center Dylan Strome, who registered the secondary assist on the historic goal.
