Alex Ovechkin with wife Anastasia Shubskaya, former NHL player Wayne Gretzky, and Gretzky's wife Janet Jones after scoring his 895th career goal (via Getty Images)

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Alex Ovechkin with wife Anastasia Shubskaya, former NHL player Wayne Gretzky, and Gretzky’s wife Janet Jones after scoring his 895th career goal (via Getty Images)

After Alex Ovechkin netted his 895th career goal and broke legendary Wayne Gretzky‘s record, Janet Gretzky showed respect to a time-honored hockey tradition by gifting Anastasia Shubskaya, wife of Alex Ovechkin, an eight-carat diamond ring that had been estimated at $280,000. The Capitals may have lost to the New York Islanders by a score of 4-1, but the outcome was an afterthought to a night all about legacy, love, and a new chapter in hockey’s history.

A goal for the ages: Alex Ovechkin breaks Wayne Gretzky’s 26-year record

The moment of history arrived at 7:26 of the second period. Alex Ovechkin let go of a blazing shot through fellow Russian Ilya Sorokin, making himself the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer. Fans inside UBS Arena lost their minds, and Alex Ovechkin commemorated the occasion by executing a belly flop onto the ice—celebrating his big achievement.

A legacy passed down: Anastasia Shubskaya receives diamond tribute from Janet Gretzky

While Alex Ovechkin was absorbing the enormity of his achievement, Anastasia Shubskaya was gifted a symbolic token of the historic night. Continuing a tradition started in 1994, when Colleen Howe (wife of Gordie Howe) gave Janet Gretzky a diamond ring after her husband, Wayne Gretzky, broke Colleen Howe’s husband’s record, Janet Gretzky ensured history repeated itself—this time from one hockey family to another.
In an interview with the media, Wayne Gretzky said, “A month ago, my wife said, ‘You know, Colleen Howe started a tradition. I’m not sure if anyone is going to break Alex’s record, but I want to give her (Ovechkin’s wife, Anastasia Shubskaya) something really unique.’ So, we went out and she picked out an eight-diamond ring for Alex’s wife. Not only do hockey guys pass down traditions. So do the families and wives.”
The act not only spanned generations of greatness but also underlined the strong relationship between hockey families across generations.
Anastasia Shubskaya, who tied the knot with Alex Ovechkin in 2016, is a Russian model who has appeared in numerous Russian magazines during her career and has built a strong social media presence. They are proud parents of two sons- Sergei and Ilya.
Also read: “Now the real stuff is coming”: Alex Ovechkin skips The Tonight Show appearance to stay playoff-ready
Even though the Capitals fell on the evening, the larger context is one of hope. The team had already secured a playoff berth and now has the emotional tailwind of reaching a once-a-generation milestone. With the NHL playoffs coming, Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals aim to ride the wave of history toward what would be a fairy tale conclusion to the 2025 campaign.