Sports Illustrated Kids - USA (2022-05 & 2022-06)

THE MOST IMPRESSIVE part of Alexander Ovechkin’s potentially breaking

Wayne Gretzky’s mark of 894 career goals is how far away he is from every

other Gretzky record. The Great Eight isn’t even halfway to the Great One’s

2,857 points—and he may soon be the NHL’s active leader in the category!

Gretzky’s stranglehold on hockey’s record books is a case of the sport’s best

player reaching his prime in a high-offense era. NHL teams averaged 4.01 goals

per game in 1981–82, the season Gretzky had 92 goals and 120 assists. For most

of Ovechkin’s career, that average has hovered around 2.7. It’s a testament to the

Caps’ captain’s longevity that it’s even thinkable he’ll reach 895 career goals.

Comparable goal scorers like Mike Bossy and Pavel Bure retired in their early

30s. Two factors work in Ovi’s favor: The league is scoring more in general (up

to 3.12 goals per game this season), and his wicked one-timer means he’ll keep

lighting the lamp even if his legs slow down.

Take ’Em

To Shula

PATRIOTS COACH

Bill Belichick has

conference titles,

and six Super

Bowl rings—all

records for NFL

coaches. But in

the regular-season

win column, Belichick

(290 victories) trails Bears

legend George Halas (318)

and longtime Miami coach

Don Shula (328). Halas

coached until age 72; Shula

retired at 66. Belichick will

be 70 this season, but you

wouldn’t know it watching

him. (Something about the

sleeveless hoodie makes him

seem young.) Assuming the

Mac Jones era goes well, it

should take Belichick about

three and a half seasons to

be the new boss of bosses.

Or he could retire as the

GOAT before then. No other

active coach is even close to

his numbers. (Andy Reid is

second with 233 wins.)

certain records seem unbreakable. Teams pass more than ever. Still, a handful

of modern running backs, including Chris Johnson and Adrian Peterson,

have come near Eric Dickerson’s single-season 2,105 mark.

Emmitt Smith’s 18,355 career yards, however, seem farther away

than an end zone from the opposite one-yard line. Even Peterson

remains over 3,000 yards short. Smith himself has singled out

Tennessee’s Derrick Henry as one player who could challenge his

record. With 11,558 yards to go and already 28 years old, Henry would

In the Long Run

20 / SPORTS ILLUSTRATED KIDS WINSJEFF LOVINNICKW TOWNS/NHLOI/GETTY N (BELICIMHICKAGE); SN (OEIVL LEECHIFER (KIN) SHULA)

FRED VUICH (HENRY); AL TIELEMANS (SMITH)

NFLCareer Yards

NFL Regular Season

Coaching Wins

The Great 8( 95 )

NHLCareer Goals