WATCH: Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin scores goal No. 895, breaks NHL record
Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin has entered the history books as the best goal-scorer in NHL history, scoring his 895th career goal on Sunday in a game against the New York Islanders.
The goal puts him in sole possession of first place, surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s record set on March 29, 1999.
ALEX OVECHKIN IS THE GREATEST GOALSCORER IN NHL HISTORY! 🚨🚨🚨 #Gr8ness pic.twitter.com/NKef3VvNaJ
— NHL (@NHL) April 6, 2025Ovechkin scored the history-breaking goal at 7:26 of the second period on Sunday to make it 2-1. The goal came against Ilya Sorokin, whom Ovechkin had never scored on in three previous outings.
It took Ovechkin one fewer game – 1,486 – to tie Gretzky’s record before breaking it today, just one game later. While Ovechkin will not finish anywhere near Gretzky’s career point total of 2,857, he will likely hold on to one of the NHL’s most coveted records for many, many years to come.
A 16-game absence due to a leg injury earlier this year delayed the record chase. The same can be said about the lockout in 2004-05 shortly after getting drafted first overall. A second lockout in 2012-13, and the COVID-19-impacted seasons of 2019-20 and 2020-21, also played a role, too.
8️⃣9️⃣5️⃣!
For more than 31 years, exactly 11,338 days, Wayne Gretzky held a crown most believed would be his for eternity.
The #NHL has a new goal scoring king: the Great One gives way to the Great Eight.
The #Gr8Chase ends on Long Island – hockey’s first 900-goal scorer next.
Ovechkin is the only active NHLer with at least 700 goals, with Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby sitting second at 622. Steven Stamkos (579) and Evgeni Malkin (513) are the only other active NHLers to score at least 500. A total of eight NHLers have scored at least 700 career goals. Gordie Howe (801) was the first to ever hit 800, doing so on Feb. 29, 1980.
Over his career, Ovechkin has won the Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL’s leading goal-scorer nine times. He has the most career power-play goals of any player, scoring 392 of his 895 goals on the man advantage.
Among other notable honors, Ovechkin won the 2006 Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie, and led the league with 110 points in 2007-08 – the only Art Ross Trophy of his career. He took home Conn Smythe Trophy honors as the playoff MVP en route to his only Stanley Cup to date in 2018 and is a three-time Hart Trophy winner as league MVP. Internationally, Ovechkin has won the World Championship three times and has broken multiple records at various junior international tournaments with Russia.
Ovechkin has one more year left on his contract worth $9.5 million that’ll take him until he’s 40 years old.
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