Wayne Gretzky shows his true colors the moment Alex Ovechkin ties his record.

It was a great night for Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin, it was a great night for the National Hockey League and it was a great night for fans of the sport of hockey as we all sat back and witnessed Ovechkin make history, tying the incredible goal-scoring record previously set by NHL legend Wayne Gretzky. For Gretzky himself however the night must have had a very different tone, with the man affectionately referred to as "The Great One" having to sit in attendance as a piece of his legacy was being forever stripped away by a much younger man.

It was evident at times that Gretzky struggled with the emotions of the moment, but there was one point in particular during the evening in which The Great One's true colors really shined through.

That moment came during the third period of the contest between Ovechkin's Capitals and the Chicago Blackhawks, with a microphone being shoved in Gretzky's face only moments after Ovechkin had tied a goal-scoring record that was once believed to be untouchable. An emotional Gretzky was asked about Ovechkin tying his record in that moment, and much to his credit Gretzky showed incredible class in what was obviously a very difficult moment for him.

"That's ok," said Gretzky when he was told he had some company now. "That's what my dad told Gordie Howe way back when right? This is what the game isd all about. Alex has been great for the game, great for Washington, great for his home country, it's wonderful. I'm very proud of him, I'm proud of him, I am proud what I accomplished, and you know that is what makes our game so wonderful is the great athletes we have but more importantly good people that they are."

It was a display of pure class from The Great One but he wasn't done there, Gretzky would go on to say that he felt a personal responsibility to show this type of class as a result of the men who have established a legacy in this great sport of ours.

"You know when [Mark] Messier retired, Gordie Howe retired, [Mario] Lemieux retired, and Bobby Orr retired we thought 'What is gonna happen to our game now?' and along came Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin and now we've got [Connor] McDavid, [Nathan] MacKinnon, [Auston] Matthews, our game just gets better all the time and that's why it is so special."

In perhaps his greatest show of class however, Gretzky would openly root for Ovechkin to surpass him in that very moment.

"I hope it happens tonight," said Gretzky. "It would be fun, he deserves to do it in front of these fans."