Ask Billboard: No. 99 Is at No. 2, As Drake’s ‘Nokia’ Gets an Assist From Wayne Gretzky

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Hi Gary,

Here’s a sports angle that’s timely as Drake’s “Nokia” hits No. 2 on the latest Billboard Hot 100. In the song, he flirts, “Is that your bestie? Im’a ice both y’all like Gretzky.”

Fellow Canadian Wayne Gretzky, aka The Great One, held the National Hockey League record for the most regular-season goals scored — 894 — for 31 years. On April 6, Alex Ovechkin scored his 895th. With Gretzky, whose uniform No. 99 is retired league-wide, now at No. 2 in terms of that record, well, that’s a connection to Drake being at the Hot 100’s runner-up position.

Three other related stats, with “Nokia” at No. 2 and Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther” at No. 1:

Ovechkin’s nickname is Ovi. Drake co-founded the OVO Sounds imprint. (OVO stands for October’s Very Own; Drake was born in that month.)

A drake is a male duck. Lamar’s full name is Kendrick Lamar Duckworth. Also can’t duck from this hockey history: The name of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks originated from Disney’s 1992 movie about the sport, The Mighty Ducks. (You can double-check that on the web.)

Plus, despite their rivalry, both Lamar and Drake share incredible smiles. I’m guessing that neither lost any teeth due to playing hockey. I’m just trying to make hockey connections, this coming from someone who knows more about Shakespeare’s Puck, that mischievous muse from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, than a hockey puck.

Pablo Nelson
Oakland, Calif.

Hi Pablo,

You shot and scored with a look at how Drake and Gretzky are in some ways linemates. (Ovechkin, too. Notably, in the late 2000s/early ‘10s, the name that Nokia used for its software services? Ovi.)

Despite Gretzky now ranking second in NHL goals, he still leads for the most points – 2,857 – thanks to 1,963 assists along with his 894 goals. (Even without any goals, he’d have the most points; Jaromír Jágr ranks second with 1,921 points.) Somewhat similarly, Drake hasn’t notched the most Hot 100 No. 1s (with 13, he’s tied for the fourth-most), but he holds the marks for the most top 10s (80) and Hot 100 hits overall (358), through the April 19 chart, among other unprecedented feats.

Gretzky established the records for the most goals (92), assists (163) and points (215) in a single NHL season. He is also the only player with at least 200 points in a season, a milestone he achieved four times. On the Hot 100, Drake became the first soloist with at least 200 hits.

Meanwhile, Gretzky perhaps sensed his ties to Drake from the night that Drake was born. On Oct. 24, 1986, his Edmonton Oilers were 6 gods, as they beat the Boston Bruins, 6-2. Gretzky scored the winning goal, on the way to a hat trick.

Noted the Edmonton Journal the next day, “This was a night for shooting stars. And Gretzky’s the brightest.”

Also like Drake, Gretzky has even sung on a Hot 100 hit: He’s among the chorus (along with his wife, Janet) on the all-star charity single “Voices That Care,” which reached No. 11 in May 1991. It debuted on the chart dated that March 16, a day in which he showed off multiple talents: Then playing for the Los Angeles Kings, he tallied two assists, including on the game-winning goal over the Calgary Flames.

More record-holders on that record: Michael Jordan also contributed to “Voices That Care,” teaming Gretzky with the player with the highest NBA career scoring average (30.3 points).

Bringing things full circle (like a basketball or hockey puck, or a record or CD), Jordan in 2017 praised Drake. “Right now, I’m a Drake fan,” he told young attendees at his camp.

In March, Drake even boasted of outperforming Jordan — in sports! “I beat him at ping-pong a couple times, and he just wouldn’t leave the ping-pong table,” he shared of Jordan (with whom he has professionally partnered). “He kept just betting me, because he just couldn’t stomach the loss, you know? He’s definitely not a quitter. I respect him deeply for his gambling nature. So, yeah, I’d say Michael Jordan’s definitely one-of-one.”