As Alex Ovechkin inches closer to something once unthinkable — passing the record of 894 career goals set by Wayne Gretzky — few are more excited about the pending achievement than “the Great One” himself.

Mr. Ovechkin, in his 20th NHL season, all with the Washington Capitals, is two goals shy of tying and a hat trick from passing Mr. Gretzky’s seemingly insurmountable record, set during a legendary career that ended with his retirement in 1999.

 “I’m very proud of what I accomplished with 894 and nothing can take anything away from that,” Mr. Gretzky said recently. “But Alex has been exceptional for our game and the Washington Capitals. I hope I’m the first guy to shake his hand when he does break the record.”

Drafted by the Capitals in 2004, Mr. Ovechkin has fashioned an iconic career built on his consistency as an unstoppable goal scorer. The 39-year-old Russian netted career goal no. 892 in the Capitals’ 5-1 loss at Carolina on Wednesday night, a game that featured multiple fights.

His next attempt to move closer to or catch Mr. Gretzky is Friday at Capital One Arena against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Capitals, leaders of the Metropolitan Division, have seven games remaining in the regular season. Mr. Ovechkin has two hat tricks this season.

“It’s game-by-game,” he said of his record chase. “We’ll see.”

With 39 goals this season, Mr. Ovechkin is one shy of reaching 40 in a season for the 14th time, the most in league history. He also has 27 assists for a total of 66 points. The possibility of scoring 40 goals and catching Mr. Gretzky seemed doubtful in a year during which he missed 16 games with a broken left fibula.

Mr. Ovechkin endured the worst injury of his career when he collided with center Jack McBain of the Utah Hockey Club during the Capitals’ 6-2 win on November 18.  At the time, Mr. Ovechkin’s 15 goals led the league. He returned to action on December 28 and scored the 869th goal of his career, and helped Caps continue their promising season.

“First you had to understand the recovery period, and then do everything that was required in such a situation,” Mr. Ovechkin told a Russian news outlet. “It’s good that the recovery went well.”

One of hockey’s most decorated players, Mr. Ovechkin has nine seasons of 50-plus goals, highlighted by a career-high 65 in 2007-08. He is a 12-time All-Star, a three-time league Most Valuable Player, and in 2017 was named to the list of the best 100 NHL players of all-time.

In 2018, Mr. Ovechkin helped the Capitals earn the franchise’s first championship by beating the Las Vegas Golden Knights in five games to win the Stanley Cup. He had 15 goals in the playoffs and received the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.

Mr. Ovechkin’s teammates are enjoying the attention the record chase is getting from fans. “It’s been huge for us and awesome for him to see that he’s still doing it at this torrid pace,” a Capitals defenseman, Trevor van Riemsdyk, said, according to the AP.

With Mr. Ovechkin a hat-trick away from breaking the record, Mr. Gretzky is scheduled to be at Washington Friday night. It’s probably a better location for him than if the game were in his native Canada.

Mr. Gretzky, 64, is having his loyalty to his home country questioned due to his support of President Trump. Many Canadians are upset at the Trump administration’s intention to impose rising tariffs on their country, as well as at Mr. Trump’s talk of making Canada America’s 51st state.

A Canadian-American hockey executive and former player, John Davidson, said he was angered by Mr. Gretzky celebrating Mr. Trump’s election night victory at Mar-a-Lago and attending the inauguration.

“It disappoints the hell out of me,” Mr. Davidson said, adding, “A lot of people are pissed off with him right now because he went and kissed the ring.”

Mr. Gretzky played on four NHL teams, including ten seasons at Edmonton, where he won four Stanley Cups, and stops at Los Angeles, St. Louis, and New York. He has lived all over the United States, owning homes in California, Arizona, Idaho, and Florida.

Should Mr. Ovechkin claim the career goals record, Mr. Gretzky would still own 55 other NHL records.