by Julian Spivey
I had this idea to try to figure out the greatest Indianapolis 500 field of all time. I didn’t impose many parameters on it. I knew 21 drivers have won multiple Indianapolis 500s. Those drivers were all a lock to make the field. That left just 12 more spots for drivers who have won the race. I made the decision you had to have won the Indy 500 to make the field. Sorry, Michael Andretti. I know your 431 laps led in the race are the 11th most in history, but if you couldn’t get the job done, I couldn’t fit you into the all-time field.

I didn’t want to make the call over which drivers who have only won the Indy 500 once deserved to start higher in this field than those who have won multiple times. So, you might be saying, “I’d rather have Mario Andretti or Scott Dixon in my car at the Brickyard than Takuma Sato.” OK, I’d probably too. But Sato won more Indy 500s. This isn’t the greatest drivers to ever appear in this race; it’s the all-time field for this particular race.

When it came to ranking drivers who had the same number of wins in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, there were statistical categories I used to differentiate between them, most of which involved Indianapolis Motor Speedway (top 10s, laps led and poles), but I also factored in championships won. Note: I only included championships for USAC, Champ Car and Indy Car. So, if you notice Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi and Jim Clark have fewer titles than you think they should have, that’s why.
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On January 16, 2006, the Washington Capitals played the then-Phoenix Coyotes in Arizona. Washington was leading 5-1 in the third period with about eight minutes left. Rookie Alex Ovechkin scored a highlight-reel goal by falling, curling and dragging the puck into the net while on his back. The crowd that day was in amazement at the replay, wondering how Ovechkin scored a goal like that. On the home bench for the Coyotes, the coach who happened to be on the wrong side of the blowout and the incredible goal that was scored against his team was the greatest player in NHL history, Wayne Gretzky. While Gretzky scored 894 goals in his outstanding career, he did not score a goal that was truly amazing and a goal that people still talk about to this day. Ovechkin scored his 32nd goal of the season in that game and would go on to score 52 goals for the 2005-2006 season. He would win the Calder Trophy that season as the top rookie in the NHL.
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The following year, 2006-2007, Ovechkin scored a league-high 65 goals, the only year he scored more than 60 goals in a season. Ovechkin has scored at least 20 goals every year. He has led the NHL in goals eight times. As he continued to set new marks, the hockey world thought not if, but when Ovechkin would become the new all-time leading goal scorer. The goal on that January day in 2006 should have been used as a reminder that perhaps the one who would surpass Gretzky in goals all-time would be right in front of him.

On April 6 against the New York Islanders in New York, Ovechkin surpassed Gretzky and became the all-time leading goal scorer in NHL history with his 895th goal. While the Capitals lost the game that day, it did not matter because this is one of those moments many people thought would never happen. When Gretzky played, you saw the tremendous skill that made him the best hockey player ever. In 1992, Gretzky passed Gordie Howe at 802 to become the all-time leading goal scorer. What was ironic about Ovechkin breaking Gretzky’s record was that Ovechkin scored 895 in his 1,487 game. That is the same number of games Wayne Gretzky played in his entire NHL career.

There is no doubt Ovechkin will become the first player in NHL history to score 900 goals. The question is how many goals he will finish in his career. Could he get 1000? I would say no, but never say never. The one thing you can give Ovechkin credit for is his durability. We all know hockey is a tough sport, but for Ovechkin to surpass Gretzky in the same number of games they both played is remarkable. Ovechkin could play another three to five years if he chooses that route.  His physical strength is incredible, and he is a true defender’s worst nightmare. Another astonishing fact is that Ovechkin has done this with one team his whole career. Ovechkin was drafted number one overall by Washington in 2004, but did not make his team debut until 2005 due to the league-wide work stoppage that canceled the 2004-2005 season. Ovechkin and other players like Sidney Crosby have reenergized the game of hockey since the return of play in 2005, and for 20 years, they have helped the league grow to new heights. 

​All these records, yet it feels like he’s not done. There will be a number for the most career goals in NHL history. What will be the final total? Will anyone break Ovechkin’s goal record? Congratulations to Alex Ovechkin, the greatest goal scorer in hockey history.