ESPN+ is planning five exclusive alternate telecasts known as “the OviCast” as viewers track the Alex Ovechkin’s chase of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goals record.
The first special stream is Thursday night as Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals, who have the league’s best record, face the Minnesota Wild. Additional games with the extra telecast will be on April 10, 12, 15 and 17, as the regular season winds to a close.
Traditional broadcasts of those same games will be available across Disney platforms, with the April 12 matchup between the Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets slated to air on ABC.
Ovechkin, whose nicknames include “The Great 8” and “Ovi” (thus the name of the stream), entered Thursday with 889 career goals, needing five to tie Gretzky and six to become the all-time leader.
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While alternate telecasts are increasingly standard —
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