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Alex Ovechkin Breaks Wayne Gretzky’s Goals Record

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Jim Bay | Last updated Apr 6, 2025 2:40 PM ET

Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals scored a power-play goal against the New York Islanders with 12:34 left in the second period to get career goal number 895 and surpass Wayne Gretzky as the NHL’s all-time leading scorer.

ALEX OVECHKIN IS THE GREATEST GOALSCORER IN NHL HISTORY! #Gr8ness pic.twitter.com/NKef3VvNaJ
— NHL (@NHL) April 6, 2025

Ovechkin has scored at least one goal against a record 182 different goaltenders in the NHL but had not scored against Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin until goal number 895.

Ovechkin scored his 894th career goal on Friday (April 4), tying Gretzky in his 1,486th game, which is one less than Gretzky played in his NHL career (894 goals in 1,487 GP). “The Great 8” scored goal Nos. 893 and 894 in the same game and needed only 182 contests to jump from the 800-goal benchmark (Dec. 13, 2022) to 894 – exactly half the games “The Great One” played from goal No. 800 to 894 (364 GP).

Also, in the game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Ovechkin scored his 242nd career first-period goal, surpassing Wayne Gretzky (241) for the most in NHL history.

Since the first day of NHL play in 1917, a total of nine players have topped the League in career goals (outright or tied), including seven since Feb. 23, 1921, when Joe Malone took a lead he would hold for nearly two years. The record has been broken only six times since Malone pulled ahead 104 years ago, with Ovechkin (891) now four tallies away from the benchmark Wayne Gretzky (894) has held for over 31 years. Ovechkin became the 10th player to hold the distinction as the all-time NHL goals leader and the eighth since Malone pulled ahead 104 years ago.

Previously, he became the second player in NHL history with a 40-goal season at age 39 or older, following Gordie Howe (44 in 1968-69). Ovechkin could conclude the campaign ranking among the top five in goals for the 15th time in his 20 career seasons and pass Howe (14x) for the highest total in League history (outright or tied).

In addition to extending his record for career 40-goal seasons and becoming the first player in League history with three 40-goal campaigns at age 35-plus, Ovechkin furthered his NHL benchmark for most games with at least one goal.

A career Capital, Ovechkin is one of five players among the top 25 goal scorers in league history to only ever wear one uniform in the NHL – joined on that list by Steve Yzerman (10th; DET), Mario Lemieux (11th; PIT), Sidney Crosby (18th; PIT) and Mike Bossy (24th; NYI).