Watch: Ovechkin hits new milestones in chase for goals record

Washington Capitals left winger Alex Ovechkin. Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Watch: Alex Ovechkin hits new career milestones in chase for goals record

By Austen Bundy | Last updated Mar 9, 2025 6:59 PM ET

Hockey fans have their eyes trained on Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin every time he's on the ice and that's for good reason.

The 39-year-old Russian star is close to making NHL history and took another step towards it on Sunday with an empty-net goal against the Seattle Kraken.

Counting this one as an empty-net trick shot pic.twitter.com/UjGZMxZtkw
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 9, 2025

Ovechkin's late third period tally put Washington up 4-2 but also doubled as his 1,600th career point. He's now just the 11th player in league history to reach the illustrious milestone.

Alex Ovechkin is the 11th player in NHL history to reach 1,600 career points.

Another day, another milestone for Ovi along the #Gr8Chase pic.twitter.com/ryKfAl63Fc
— NHLPA (@NHLPA) March 9, 2025

And it was a pretty impressive shot too. Ovechkin managed to backhand the puck between a defender's legs and into the net without even looking at the target.

It was his 33rd goal of the season and the 886th of his career, leaving him just nine short of passing Hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky's all-time record (894).

Ovechkin also tied another milestone set by Gretzky.

Ovechkin scored his 157th career goal in the month of March and tied Wayne Gretzky (157 in December) for the most in any calendar month.
— Capitals PR (@CapitalsPR) March 9, 2025

With 18 games left for Washington, Ovechkin is still on pace to break Gretzky's 31-year-old mark by the end of the regular season.

Austen Bundy

Austen Bundy is a journalist and sports junkie from the Washington, D. C. area

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