CNN  —  As Alex Ovechkin closes in on what some considered one of the most unassailable records in NHL history – Wayne Gretzky’s 894 goals – let’s look back at how the wondrous winger ended up in the National Hockey League. First, we have to look at his birthday. Ovechkin was born on September 17, 1985, two days past the deadline to be eligible for the 2003 draft. How coveted was the then 17-year-old Moscow Dynamo forward? Coveted enough that the Florida Panthers tried picking him several times