Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is a celebrated figure in NHL history. This legendary forward has already secured his place in history but is still pursuing Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record.
At 39 years old, Ovechkin is on the cusp of becoming the NHL’s all-time leading scorer, and he could surpass Gretzky’s record of 894 before this season concludes. The Capitals’ prominent player currently boasts 888 career goals after scoring his 35th goal of the season in the opening period of Washington’s 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night.
He now requires seven more goals in Washington’s remaining 13 games to overtake Gretzky’s record this season.
Ovechkin’s career totals include 1,607 points (888 goals, 719 assists). On March 9th, Ovechkin became the 11th player in NHL history to reach 1,600 points.
The 2023-24 season was less prolific for Ovechkin, with 31 goals, marking his lowest full-season total. He scored only 24 goals in the 2020-21 season, which was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ovechkin recorded 42 goals in the 2022-23 season and has achieved at least 41 goals in 13 of his 19 NHL seasons.
In 2023-24, he made history by achieving an NHL record 18th 30-goal season, surpassing Mike Gartner’s previous record of 17. He has now extended this record to 19 seasons.
Ovechkin remains a key player on the Capitals’ top power-play unit, ensuring he continues to have numerous goal-scoring opportunities. He has been scoring at a significantly higher rate compared to last year when he only scored five goals in the first two months of the season.
Keep following updates on Ovechkin’s goal count throughout the season to see how close he gets to breaking Gretzky’s all-time record.
