It’s been 7,123 days since he made his debut in the National Hockey League. He’s played 1,487 games. Now, a record many thought would never be broken has been toppled – and it belongs to ‘The Great 8’.
Alexander Ovechkin stands alone. His goal in the second period on the Washington Capitals’ first power-play of the game became the 895th of his career, moving him past Wayne Gretzky for the most goals in an NHL career.
Spare a thought for New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin. A fellow Russian, Sorokin had never given up a goal against Ovechkin in his entire career. Now, he’ll be the answer to an immortal hockey trivia question: ‘Which netminder gave up the goal that saw Alex Ovechkin clinch the all-time record for goals scored?’
It was a textbook goal from Ovechkin. They may have called the area behind the net ‘Gretzky’s Office’, but ‘Ovi’s Place’ is the left side circle. He’s scored many a goal from that side of the ice, and it was only fitting that the record-breaker came from the same spot.
Tom Wilson, a man who has been Ovechkin’s teammate since 2012, had his first and 100th goals assisted by the Russian star. Today, he’s credited with the primary assist on the goal the solidifies Ovi’s spot in the record books.
As the puck beat Sorokin stick-side, Ovechkin wheeled off to the center circle to celebrate – sliding on his stomach before being mobbed by his teammates as they came streaming off the bench.
Alexander Ovechkin celebrates his 895th career goal, the most of all time in the NHL
His shot from the left circle – a spot he’s grown accustomed to – beat Ilya Sorokin for the record
Ovechkin’s Capitals teammates came streaming off the bench and mobbed him on the ice
Befitting the occasion, the game was stopped. UBS Arena stood and applauded – both the red-clad and the blue-and-orange wearing alike – and treated the 39-year-old to a chorus of ‘Ovi, Ovi, Ovi’.
Much like when he tied Gretzky, he pointed to the sky and applauded, an homage to his late father.
Then he skated around the rink paying tribute to the fans.
A blue carpet was rolled out and Ovechkin took a curtain call. A commissioned painting made for the occasion was presented to him.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman came down onto the ice, treated to a chorus of boos.
Ovechkin’s wife, Anastasia, his children, Sergei and Ilya, his mother, Tatyana, and other members of his family walked out on the carpet as well. So did Capitals owner Ted Leonsis.
Then, of course, the man he passed for the record. Much like Gordie Howe did when Gretzky surpassed ‘Mr. Hockey’s’ mark in 1994, ‘The Great One’ was on hand for the history-making.
‘We’re here to celebrate this guy here, No. 8,’ Gretzky said of Ovechkin during the on-ice ceremony. ‘They say records are made to be broken, but I’m not sure who’s gonna get more goals than that.’
Much like Gordie Howe did for him in 1994, Wayne Gretzky shook Ovechkin’s hand Sunday
Gretzky embraces Ovechkin on the ice. Pictured left, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman
Ovechkin then addressed and thanked the fans – at UBS Arena and around the world
A bar back in Moscow, Russia filled with fans celebrating Alex Ovechkin breaking the record
The jumbotron at UBS Arena displaying Ovechkin’s record-breaking goal on Sunday afternoon
For his part, Ovechkin thanked fans ‘around the world’ and in his native Russia, as well as his family and teammates: ‘Without your support, I wouldn’t be here.’
Back in Moscow, bars packed with fans celebrated as their national hero stuck it to The West and took the record back to the Motherland.
After winning three Hart Trophies, an Art-Ross Trophy, nine Rocket Richard Trophies, earning 12 All-Star appearances, and having his name engraved on the Stanley Cup, Ovechkin added to his legend by matching arguably the most important record in NHL history for his own.
Ovechkin’s NHL career got off to a bit of a false start. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Capitals, only for his first season to be delayed a year due to a lockout.
When he did arrive, he did so with style. In his debut with the Caps, Ovechkin scored two goals against Pascal Leclaire in a 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
He’d earn his first NHL hat trick on January 13 in a game against the Anaheim Ducks – scoring goals No. 28, 29, and 30 in his career.
The next game, a road game against the Wayne Gretzky-coached Phoenix Coyotes, Ovechkin scored arguably the greatest goal in the history of the NHL.
In a sequence where words cannot accurately portray the majesty of the action, Ovechkin raced up ice, deked around a Coyotes defenseman, and lost his edge – falling to the ice.
As he fell onto his back, he managed to get the backside of his stick blade on the puck and shoved it toward the open goal mouth – which it slid straight into.
That season, he won the Calder Trophy – given to the top rookie in the league – as he beat out career rival Sidney Crosby for the honor.
Ovechkin hit 100 goals on October 12, 2007 in a game against the New York Rangers. Just over two years later, he’d pass 200 goals against the Los Angeles Kings in February of 2009.
Ovechkin was mobbed by his teammates after tying Gretzky’s mark last week
Ovechkin didn’t get his career started until a year after being drafted due to a lockout
But when he finally made his NHL debut in 2005, his career got off to a flying start
Ovechkin’s last major threshold came back in 2022, when he scored career goal No. 800
Two years after that, in April 2011, he’d hit 300 against the New Jersey Devils. Goal No. 400 arrived in December 2013 against the Carolina Hurricanes.
It took a little over two years after that to hit 500 – doing so in January 2016 against the Ottawa Senators.
He became the 20th player in NHL history to cross the 600 goal threshold on March 12, 2018 against the Winnipeg Jets. Just weeks before a global pandemic halted the sports world, on February 22, 2020, Ovechkin scored career goal 700 against the Devils.
Then, goal No. 800 came against the Chicago Blackhawks on December 13, 2022 – giving him a clear objective which he achieved today.
Of his now record number of goals, only 72 have come in the playoffs – putting him atop the list of active players but 15th overall and 50 behind Gretzky.
Ovechkin’s career runs the table of success in the National Hockey League.
He won the Rocket Richard Trophy – given to the top goal-scorer in the league in a season – nine times. Ovechkin also claimed the Art Ross Trophy – given to the player with the most points in a season – back in 2008.
His peers named him MVP of the league in three straight seasons – with Ovechkin winning what is now called the Ted Lindsay Award in 2008, 2009, and 2010. He was named MVP of the league by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association three times as well – taking the Hart Trophy in 2008, 2009, and 2013.
After eluding him for years, Ovechkin finally lifted the Stanley Cup for the first time in 2018
It was the first title in franchise history and Washington, DC’s first pro sports title in 27 years
But for decades, the ultimate prize in hockey – the Stanley Cup – eluded him.
Ovechkin has made the playoffs in all but five seasons in his NHL career – his first two, the 13-14 season, and the 22-23 season.
Up until the 2017-18 season, the Capitals never even reached the Eastern Conference Finals with their all-time greatest player. Across his career until that point, Ovechkin reached the second round six times – losing once to the Tampa Bay Lightning, twice to the New York Rangers, and a painful three times to the rival Pittsburgh Penguins.
But in that 17-18 season, he finally overcame his foe by beating the Pens in the second round in six games.
Ovechkin then went on to win the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time ever, beating the Lightning in seven games to reach the pinnacle of the sport: the Stanley Cup Finals.
Against the Vegas Golden Knights, then in their first season, the Capitals made easy work of the debutants – winning the deciding game 4-3 to win the franchise’s first ever Stanley Cup and breaking a title drought for Washington, DC’s ‘Big Four’ pro sports teams that lasted 27 years.
Ovechkin was awarded the Conn-Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player for that season’s playoffs.
In the seasons since, the Capitals have made six playoff appearances and lost all of them in the first round.