NHL Notebook: Alex Ovechkin reaches 1,500 career games

Alex Ovechkin has hit another milestone.

In the Washington Capitals’ 7-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday evening, Ovechkin reached the 1,500 game mark.

Ovechkin is the most prolific scorer in National Hockey League history. Drafted first overall in the 2004 draft, the Russian winger began his career in 2005-06, scoring 52 goals and 106 points in his rookie season to win the Calder Trophy. Since then, he’s gone on to win a Stanley Cup, the Hart Trophy three times, the Rocket Richard trophy nine times, and a whole bunch of other achievements and accolades.

One of the biggest storylines of the 2024-25 season was whether Ovechkin would break the all-time goal record, held by Wayne Gretzky. Needing 41 goals to match, Ovechkin got that, and then some, finishing the season with 44 goals to surpass Gretzky.

The next milestone for Ovechkin is becoming the first player to reach 900 goals. As it stands, the 40-year-old has 899 goals, two of which have come this season.

Canucks acquire Lukas Reichel from Blackhawks

On Friday, it was announced that the Vancouver Canucks acquired Lukas Reichel from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2027 draft.

Reichel was drafted 17th overall by the Blackhawks in the 2020 draft. The son of Martin Reichel and nephew of Robert Reichel, he made his debut in the 2021-22 season, where he recorded an assist in 11 games. Reichel’s best point-per-game season came in 2022-23, where he scored seven goals and 15 points in 23 games.

His first full season in the NHL came in 2023-24, scoring five goals and 16 points in 65 games. The German winger followed that up with a career-best eight goals and 22 points in 70 games in 2024-25. Before the trade, Reichel had two goals and four points in five games, and was held pointless in his Canucks’ debut.

Injury updates

There have been a handful of injuries to key players in recent times.

On Saturday, the Montréal Canadiens announced that Patrik Laine is out for 3-4 months after receiving surgery to repair a core muscle. In five games this season, Laine has one assist as the Canadiens are off to a strong start.

Another team off to a strong start are the Pittsburgh Penguins, and they’ll be without Rickard Rakell for six to eight weeks due to hand surgery, the team announced on Sunday. Through nine games this season, the 32-year-old has three goals and nine points after posting a career-high 70 points in 2024-25.

The Nashville Predators will be without captain Roman Josi for a bit, as he’s considered week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Thankfully, it’s not related to his POTS diagnosis that he received in the summer.

PRESENTED BY VIVID SEATS