Alex Ovechkin has broken Wayne Gretzky’s record for most goals in NHL history by scoring the 895th goal of his career on Sunday.
The Washington Capitals’ captain made history when he scored against the New York Islanders by beating fellow Russian Ilya Sorokin on a power play with 12:34 left in the second period. He took a perfect pass from longtime teammate Tom Wilson and fired an absolute laser past Sorokin with defenseman Jakob Chychrun screening. It was his first time scoring against Sorokin.
He dived onto the ice to celebrate as so many Capitals fans in attendance chanted “Ovi! Ovi!” from the stands.
Just as they did after he scored No. 894 minutes earlier, teammates mobbed the 39-year-old Russian to celebrate the accomplishment, which replaced a record that had stood for 31 years.
Ovechkin then hugged team equipment and training staff on the bench and went through a handshake line with the Islanders as crew members set up for the 895 ceremony.
“Wayne, you’ll always be the ‘Great One’ and you had a record that nobody ever thought would be broken,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said to open the festivities. “But Alex, you did it. You’ve been amazing.”
Gretzky congratulated Ovechkin and his family for the accomplishment, adding, “They say records are made to be broken, but I’m not sure who’s going to get more goals than that.”
With Gretzky, wife Janet, Bettman and Ovechkin’s wife, mother and two sons standing nearby, Ovechkin addressed the crowd and said: “I’ve always said, all the time, it’s a team sport. .. Fellas, thank you very much. I love you so much.”
The 39-year-old veteran had been on track to break Gretzky’s long-held record and only tied him on Friday night when he scored two against the Chicago Blackhawks. He passed the record even after missing 16 games in November and December because of a broken left leg, a testament to his durability and knack for putting the puck in the back of the net for two decades.
Even with this one falling to Ovechkin — which he has said he is excited about — Gretzky holds 55 NHL records, and two seem truly untouchable: 2,857 total points and 1,963 assists, the latter of which is more than anyone else has in goals and assists combined.
For NHL playoff goals, which do not count toward the record, Gretzky has the most (122). Ovechkin has 72. Gretzky also had another 56 in the World Hockey Association regular season and playoffs, while Ovechkin has 57 from his time in the KHL, Russia’s top league.
Returning to Russia to play in front of family and friends is an option at some point for Ovechkin, who has one season left after this one on the five-year, $47.5 million contract he signed in 2021, which took him through age 40 to give him enough time to chase Gretzky’s record. Instead, he got it done earlier than just about anyone could have realistically expected.
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