The winner was those they will help through the more than $32,000 they raised in their EA Sports NHL 20 showdown on XBOX on Wednesday.
The matchup between Gretzky, who retired in 1999 as the NHL’s all-time leader with 894 goals, and Ovechkin, the Washington Capitals forward who is eighth in League history with 706 goals, was livestreamed on the Capitals Twitch Channel. Fans watching donated more than $16,000 to help those impacted by the coronavirus.
Gretzky and Ovechkin agreed to donate $8,000 each to raise the total to more than $32,000, which will be split between the Edmonton Food Bank and MSE Foundation’s “Feeding the Frontlines” fund, which provides meals to heroes in the medical community.
Gretzky and Ovechkin initially planned to play a best-of-3 series, but after Gretzky won the first game 5-4 in overtime, they decided to shorten the second game to two periods. When Ovechkin won the second game 4-1, they opted to not to play a third game.
“We both are not very good at this game, but what a great cause, right, when everybody’s so down and out,” Gretzky said. “So, a fun night and hopefully everybody’s having a little bit of enjoyment laughing at us.”
Video: Gretzky vs. Ovi: Chel on Twitch
Ovechkin and Gretzky didn’t have a lot of previous experience playing NHL 20, so each had a teammate. Ovechkin teamed with John “JohnWayne” Casgranda of the Capitals esports brand “Caps Gaming”, who finished second at the 2019 NHL Gaming World Championship. Gretzky, 59, was assisted by his son Ty in the first game and his son Trevor in the second game.
The first game was intense with Ovechkin forcing overtime by scoring a shorthanded goal with 2.8 seconds left in regulation. After Gretzky won 18:42 into sudden death, both players needed a break.
“I’m sweating like in a game right now,” Ovechkin said.
Ovechkin started quickly in Game 2, scoring 50 seconds in to grab a 1-0 lead.
“Guess who?” Ovechkin yelled while watching his likeness do his “hot stick” celebration.
After Ovechkin made it 2-0 at 14:01 of the first period, Gretzky exclaimed, “I traded the wrong son.”
Video: Gretzky vs. Ovi: Chel on Twitch
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