Greg WyshynskiApr 6, 2025, 01:48 PM ET
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- Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL creator.
NEW YORK — Washington Capitals famous person Alex Ovechkin scored target No. 895 on Sunday, passing Corridor of Famer Wayne Gretzky to turn out to be the NHL’s all-time goal-scoring chief.
Ovechkin, on a cross from longtime teammate Tom Wilson, netted the file breaker in a 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders with a power-play target previous fellow Russian Ilya Sorokin with 12:34 left in the second one length of Sunday’s sport — the 1,487th sport of his profession, the similar as Gretzky’s profession overall.
“That is one thing loopy,” Ovechkin mentioned after the sport. “I am most likely going to desire a couple extra days. Possibly a pair weeks to appreciate what it manner to be No. 1.
“All I will be able to say: I am very proud. I am very proud for myself. I am in point of fact proud for my circle of relatives, for all my teammates, that helped me to succeed in that milestone, and for all my coaches. It is massive. It is an out of this world second.”
With Gretzky and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in attendance, the sport got here to a standstill as avid gamers and fanatics celebrated the historical second.
“They are saying that information are made to be damaged, however I am not positive who is going to get extra targets than that,” Gretzky mentioned earlier than shaking Ovechkin’s hand.
When Casey Cizikas took a tripping penalty seven mins into the second one length, the world echoed with chants of “Ovi! Ovi!” from the really extensive selection of Capitals fanatics who attended the Islanders house sport.
Ovechkin ripped his shot from the highest of the left circle — aka the “Ovi spot” the place he has scored nearly all of the targets in his profession. He grew to become and did a stomach slide over the blue line into the impartial zone as his teammates hopped over the forums in birthday celebration.
It was once his forty second target of the season, which is 2nd simplest to Gordie Howe (44 in 1968-69) for a participant elderly 39 or older.
A sight now we have noticed 894 instances earlier than this and every unmarried time has been in a Capitals sweater.
Thanks, O!!!!!!!! percent.twitter.com/NgDK9EZopG
— x – Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 6, 2025
Ovechkin in the end skated to middle ice and applauded the gang after which pointed to the sky together with his gloves, a gesture he has made previously to honor departed family members.
He skated over to the Capitals bench and hugged coaches and body of workers individuals whilst area employees walked carpets out to the ice for the rite — together with one with “Alex Ovechkin — 895” on it. In addition they arrange a specifically commissioned portray from Canadian artist Tony Harris that featured Ovechkin and Gretzky.
The Islanders were given right into a handshake line to congratulate Ovechkin, whilst his Capitals teammates wore particular version hats to commemorate the instant.
A video performed that chronicled Ovechkin’s goal-scoring adventure, that includes congratulations from NHL legends, together with Jaromir Jagr, Brett Hull and Phil Esposito, in addition to former Capitals teammates, comparable to middle Nicklas Backstrom.
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It ended together with his mom, Tatyana Ovechkin, telling Alex, “Your dad could be so proud.” Mikhail Ovechkin died in 2023 at 71.
Tatyana Ovechkin joined Alex’s spouse, Nastya, and his kids, Sergei and Ilya, at the ice for the rite. Wilson and John Carlson skated over to present them plants throughout the rite.
“I imply, it makes me just a little bit emotional, simply because I feel such a lot of him,” Wilson mentioned after the sport in regards to the help on Ovechkin’s target. “So to be beside him eternally on a large target, I think very fortunate. I think very commemorated to be part of that.”
Bettman, Gretzky and his spouse Janet, and Capitals proprietor Ted Leonsis additionally took phase within the on-ice birthday celebration.
“Wayne, you can all the time be ‘The Nice One,’ and also you had a file that no one ever concept could be damaged,” Bettman mentioned as he addressed each Gretzky and Ovechkin. “However Alex, you probably did it. You have been superb.”
As Ovechkin’s teammates accumulated in combination at the carpets for a photograph, he grew to become to handle them.
“I have all the time mentioned, always, it is a group recreation,” Ovechkin mentioned. “… Fellas, thanks very a lot. I like you such a lot.”
The 25-minute rite ended with some other video that includes an eclectic mixture of famous person athletes and celebrities providing congratulations: Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Derek Jeter, Michael Phelps, Simone Biles, Roger Federer, Jayden Daniels, Cody Rhodes, Sidney Crosby, Snoop Dogg, Vince Vaughn and Danny DeVito amongst them.
Ovechkin had by no means scored on Sorokin earlier than, making his countryman the 183rd other goaltender he has crushed.
Ovechkin tied Gretzky’s file Friday with two tallies in a 5-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. He selected to not move out at the ice after the Blackhawks pulled their goalie overdue within the 3rd for a imaginable hat trick, pronouncing later, “I don’t need an empty web” when he units the file.
| Gretzky | Ovechkin | |
|---|---|---|
| Objectives | 894 | 895 |
| Video games | 1,487 | 1,487 |
| Led NHL in targets | 5 instances | 9 instances |
| Maximum in season | 92 (’81-82) | 65 (’07-08) |
| 20-goal seasons | 17 | 20 |
| 30-goal seasons | 14 | 19 |
| 40-goal seasons | 12 | 14 |
| 50-goal seasons | 9 | 9 |
| 60-goal seasons | 5 | 1 |
| — ESPN Analysis |
His pursuit of the targets file has spanned his bizarre 20-year NHL profession, it all with the Capitals. He gained the Rocket Richard Trophy because the NHL’s regular-season goal-scoring chief 9 instances. He captured the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP thrice (2008, ’09, ’13) and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in main the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup championship in 2018.
Ovechkin is the NHL’s all-time chief in power-play targets (325) and additional time targets (27) and handed Jagr for probably the most profitable targets after tallying his 136th on Friday. He has scored 50 extra power-play targets than Corridor of Famer Dave Andreychuk, who’s 2nd at the listing. Greater than 210 of Ovechkin’s power-play targets had been scored from the Ovi spot close to the left faceoff circle.
Gretzky captured the targets file on March 23, 1994, as a member of the Los Angeles Kings. His 802nd target surpassed the profession mark of his idol, Gordie Howe. The sport towards the Vancouver Canucks was once stopped for a 15-minute rite. Gretzky retired in 1999 with 894 targets, a profession overall that few within the NHL believed would ever be surpassed — till Ovechkin arrived.
“I all the time mentioned that if there is any man who may just do it, it is him,” mentioned Backstrom, recently injured, who assisted on extra Ovechkin targets than another teammate from 2007 to 2023. “Occasionally, it simply turns out just like the puck reveals him, and he is were given that talent to position it within the web like no person else.”
The Capitals gained the 2004 NHL draft lottery to choose Ovechkin first general. The Moscow local gained the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the 12 months in 2005-06 with 52 targets, as his buoyant for my part revitalized the franchise. By means of the tip of his tenth NHL season, having but to show 30 years previous, Ovechkin had accumulated 475 targets in 760 video games.
Gretzky informed NHL.com in 2016 that if Ovechkin sustained that tempo “there is no query in my thoughts” he may just set a brand new profession targets file.
“The primary 500 are the simple ones,” Gretzky mentioned. “It is the subsequent 500, if you end up getting just a little bit older and your frame is just a little bit worn down — the go back and forth and bodily a part of the sport catches as much as you.”
Ovechkin entered this season desiring 42 targets to cross Gretzky, and he wasted no time. The Capitals captain scored 15 targets in his first 18 video games, the freshest goal-scoring get started of his profession and an unparalleled feat for a 39-year-old within the NHL. His season took an surprising activate Nov. 18, when Ovechkin broke his left fibula in a sport towards Utah. However the “Russian Device,” as he has been referred to as for his stamina and excellent well being, returned forward of time table — and scored a target — on Dec. 28, after lacking 16 video games.
Ovechkin’s file hunt captivated the hockey global throughout the general weeks of the steady season. It was once branded “The GR8 Chase” by way of the NHL. Recreation publicizes offered trade feeds that centered simplest on Ovechkin. In Washington, target counters had been added within Capital One Area and in Union Marketplace District. Gretzky, Bettman, Leonsis and Nastya Ovechkin started following the group from area to area.
Ovechkin, in the meantime, used his file pursuit to lift price range for pediatric most cancers analysis, donating an quantity equivalent to his target overall for each and every target he ratings throughout the rest of his profession and inspiring fanatics to give a contribution on a per-goal foundation as smartly.
