Oct 12, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) attempts a shot on goal in the first period against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Capitals Alex Ovechkin Nets Historic Goal Against Blues

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Nov 5, 2025 8:42 PM ET

An early regular season matchup between the Washington Capitals and the St. Louis Blues usually doesn’t elicit much response, but that wasn’t the case in this contest. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin fielded a loose puck on his back-hand, and with a spinning effort fired the puck behind Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington for his third of the season. The tally was the 900th goal of his historic career.

That goal made the Capitals captain the first player in NHL history to record 900 goals in the league, adding another feather on the cap of Ovechkin’s Hall of Fame career. Not long after he surpassed Wayne Gretzky for sole possession of first place on the all-time goal scoring list, he put himself in even more exclusive company among the NHL’s elite. As his teammates took the ice in celebration, the entire home crowd erupted in cheers.

The Washington Capitals shared a graphic of Ovechkin with the caption, "900-GOAL CLUB PARTY FOR ONE."

900-GOAL CLUB PARTY FOR ONE#Gr8ness | @Venture_Global pic.twitter.com/eBxcUFB7Ck
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) November 6, 2025

Greatest of All Time

Ovi has long held the title of the NHL’s greatest goal scorer. Since he debuted in the league back in 2005, no one has been a more impressive goal scorer or producer. It was only a matter of time, but last year it became official when he surpassed Gretzky. Now, he’s in an even more unique category as the only player in league history to score 900 goals during his NHL career.

Along with Gretzky and Gordie Howe, he’s now just the third professional hockey player ever to hit 900 total goals. Neither Gretzky nor Howe reached those marks in the NHL, but both collected more professional goals during their times in the World Hockey Association (WHA). This further cements the legacy that Ovechkin has built over his two-decade long NHL career.

Capitals’ Cup Pursuit

Adding even more excitement to Ovi’s historic tally is that he is setting records in games that matter. The Caps won 51 games last season and captured the Metropolitan Division title. This year, they are trying to repeat as division champions and go even further as they attempt to bring another Stanley Cup to Washington D.C. before Ovechkin retires.

Through the early start of the 2025-2026 season, the Caps have that chance. With the aging superstar still rocketing pucks past goaltenders and the rest of their lineup stacking up well against the rest of the Metro and Eastern Conference, the Capitals could be legitimate contenders once again.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: