Alex Ovechkin made hockey history by scoring his 895th career goal, passing Wayne Gretzky to become the NHL’s top goal scorer of all time. Bloomberg
Alex Ovechkin made hockey history by scoring his 895th career goal, passing Wayne Gretzky to become the NHL’s top goal scorer of all time. Bloomberg
Alex Ovechkin has made hockey history. On Sunday, he scored his 895th career goal and passed Wayne Gretzky to become the NHL’s all-time top goal scorer. The 39-year-old forward scored in the second period against the New York Islanders. He took a pass from Tom Wilson and sent the puck past goalie Ilya Sorokin.
The goal came during a power play. Defenseman Jakob Chychrun helped by screening the goalie. The crowd exploded with cheers and chants of “Ovi! Ovi!” as Ovechkin celebrated by diving onto the ice. His teammates rushed to join him in a joyful moment.
“I’m really proud of myself and my family,” Ovechkin said. “This is a huge moment. I need a few days to understand what it means to be No. 1.”
The Capitals lost the game 4-1, but the night still felt like a celebration. The record had stood for 31 years, and many believed no one would ever break it. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said, “Wayne, you’ll always be the ‘Great One,’ but Alex, you did it.”
Ovechkin hugged longtime team staff and waved to the crowd. The Islanders also showed respect, lining up to shake his hand. Then the Capitals honored him with a special ceremony. He received a portrait with Gretzky and a gift from Janet Gretzky to his wife, Nastya. Ovechkin scored his 895th goal in his 1,487th game—the same number Gretzky played.
Gretzky met Ovechkin on the ice and congratulated him. “Records are made to be broken,” he said. “But I don’t know who could break this one.”
Ovechkin spoke to the crowd. He thanked his injured teammates, his coaches, and most of all, his family. “We did it, boys. Thank you to my wife, my mom, and my sons. I love you all so much,” he said.
Ovechkin had never scored against Sorokin before. That made Sorokin the 183rd goalie he has beaten. After the goal, Ovechkin joked, “Thank you to Sorokin to let me score 895. I love you, brother.” Sorokin gave Ovechkin his stick with “895!” written on it and signed it.
Ovechkin has had a remarkable season. He missed two months due to a broken leg but still scored over 40 goals. He now has 42, reaching the 40-goal mark for the 14th time—more than anyone else in NHL history.
His teammate John Carlson said, “To do this at his age is crazy. People forget he missed time and still might score 50.”
Ovechkin’s chase for the record drew attention around the world. In Russia, fans tracked his goals on billboards. His contract with the Capitals runs through next season, but he may return to play in Russia one day.
Gretzky still holds many NHL records, including most points (2,857) and assists (1,963). But now, Ovechkin stands alone at the top in goals. And he’s not done yet.
