Alex Ovechkin, the star forward for the Washington Capitals, is on the brink of breaking a monumental record in NHL history: Wayne Gretzky’s long-standing goals record of 894. As of now, Ovechkin has netted 884 goals, placing him just 10 away from tying and 11 from surpassing the iconic mark. Entering the current season, Ovechkin was within 42 goals of Gretzky’s record, a number that once seemed out of reach.
Now in his 20th NHL season at age 39, the Russian athlete was on track to reach 895 goals by February. However, a setback came in November when Ovechkin suffered a shin injury, fracturing his left leg during a collision. This unfortunate incident sidelined him for 16 games, but he made a resilient return to the ice during Washington’s post-Christmas game in Toronto.
Ovechkin’s impressive goal-scoring spree continued, adding to his career achievements. His most recent goal was on March 1 in the third period of a match against Tampa Bay, making it his 31st goal of the season. This prolific goal-scoring run has not only brought him closer to Gretzky’s record but has also solidified several records under his name.
He holds the NHL records for power-play goals and shots on goal. Furthermore, Ovechkin shares the top spot for most game-winning goals at 135 with Jaromir Jagr. Demonstrating his ability to score against a diverse range of talent, Ovechkin has netted goals against 181 different goaltenders, overtaking Jagr’s prior record when he scored his 874th against Leevi Merilainen of the Senators. Additionally, he boasts 178 multi-goal games, trailing only Gretzky who has 189.
Earlier this season, Ovechkin joined the elite club of players with 700 career assists, marking him as the 60th player to achieve this milestone. In doing so, he joined an illustrious group including Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Jagr, Marcel Dionne, and Phil Esposito as players with over 700 goals and 700 assists in their career.
Among the NHL’s elite scorers, Ovechkin has climbed the ranks past legends like Mike Gartner, Phil Esposito, Marcel Dionne, Brett Hull, and Jaromir Jagr. He reached second place for the all-time goals scored on December 23, 2022, with his 802nd goal.
Wayne Gretzky has held the top career goal record since March 23, 1994, when he surpassed Gordie Howe with his 802nd goal. Before retiring in 1999 after 20 seasons and 1,487 games, Gretzky accumulated an additional 92 goals. He boasts 55 NHL records, and even as Ovechkin closes in on his goal record, some of Gretzky’s achievements remain unparalleled, notably his 2,857 total points and 1,963 assists.
While Gretzky’s playoff goals (122) are impressive, Ovechkin has 72 playoff goals to his name. Gretzky also scored another 56 goals from his time in the World Hockey Association regular season and playoffs, in contrast to Ovechkin’s 57 from the KHL, the Russian professional league.
