Alex Ovechkin ties Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL goals record

Wayne Gretzky, finally, has company. 

Gretzky became the NHL’s all-time goalscorer backmost connected March 23, 1994, erstwhile helium surpassed Gordie Howe with his 802nd vocation goal.

Now, 31 years later, idiosyncratic is beside him, arsenic Alex Ovechkin tied Gretzky’s grounds connected Friday night.

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Washington Capitals near helping Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates aft scoring a extremity during the archetypal play against the Philadelphia Flyers astatine Capital One Arena.  (Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images)

Ovechkin entered the crippled needing 2 to necktie and 3 to go the caller goals king – helium lit the lamp conscionable 4 minutes into the crippled against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Just implicit 5 minutes into the 3rd period, the Capitals went connected the powerfulness play; an evident on-ice script for Ovechkin, and helium took advantage. He took a walk and squeaked it by Spencer Knight.

All the Capitals came onto the crystal arsenic Ovechkin got a loud, agelong ovation.

Gretzky was successful the gathering to statesman his trek of pursuing Ovechkin on the mode - but helium won't beryllium pursuing for overmuch longer. At the clip of publishing, determination were inactive implicit 13 minutes near successful the game.

Ovechkin was drafted with the archetypal wide prime to Washington successful 2004, but due to the fact that of the lockout, his debut was postponed a year.

Well, he’s made up for mislaid time. And this is not a consciousness of stat-compiling either, arsenic Ovi looks to inactive beryllium successful his prime. In his 20th NHL season, the record-tying extremity was Ovechkin’s 41st extremity of the year, which ranks 3rd successful the NHL down lone Leon Draisaitl and William Nylander. 

Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals warms up earlier playing against the Washington Capitals astatine Capital One Arena connected April 04, 2025 successful Washington, DC. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

ALEX OVECHKIN ODDS: WHEN WILL HE BREAK WAYNE GRETZKY'S SCORING RECORD?

This is the 14th clip Ovechkin has scored 40 goals successful his vocation – had the league not locked retired again successful 2012-13, he’d astir apt person 15 specified seasons (although, helium did pb the league that twelvemonth with 32 goals). He’s led the NHL successful goals 9 times.

What’s adjacent much awesome is that Ovechkin missed astir 2 months of this play with a breached leg.

Ovechkin looked to beryllium slowing down conscionable a tad past season, scoring "only" 31 goals successful 79 games. But possibly helium got immoderate juice, knowing helium could interruption the grounds this season.

Oh, and portion Ovechkin is breaking records, the Capitals are Stanley Cup contenders – their 105 points are the second-most successful the NHL.

Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals celebrates aft scoring a extremity against the Chicago Blackhawks during the archetypal astatine Capital One Arena connected April 04, 2025 successful Washington, DC. The extremity was Ovechkin 893rd vocation NHL goal. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

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The bully quality for Gretzky is that if you instrumentality distant each 894 of his goals, helium inactive has the astir points successful NHL history.

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