Shortly after Wayne Gretzky grew to become the NHL’s all-time main aim scorer in 1994, his father talked about how somebody, sometime, would break his file.
“I looked at my dad,” Gretzky recently recalled, “and said, ‘Well can I enjoy this for just a couple days?'”
Gretzky loved holding the file for greater than 30 years – after which that somebody appeared, and that sometime arrived.
It was Alex Ovechkin on April 6, 2025.
The date will ceaselessly be etched in historical past because the day the Washington Capitals star scored his 895th profession aim to interrupt Gretzky’s file and grow to be the highest aim scorer in league historical past.
The 39-year-old Ovechkin netted the record-breaking aim Sunday throughout the Capitals’ sport towards the New York Islanders at UBS Enviornment on Lengthy Island. He scored on the facility play with 12:34 remaining within the second interval, sending the 1000’s of Capitals followers who had been in attendance right into a raucous celebration.
The Capitals left the bench to affix the celebration with Ovechkin, and the sport was paused for a ceremony that marked the completion of what has been dubbed “The GR8 Chase.”
Ovechkin reached 895 targets in his 1,487th sport — the identical variety of video games Gretzky performed in his NHL 20-year profession.
Gretzky was in attendance, as was NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Ovechkin’s household, for the record-breaking aim.
Information are supposed to be damaged, however greatness isn’t anticipated to be matched. And but, “The Great One” is now second best on the league’s most hallowed statistical listing.
Ovechkin’s climb to the highest required longevity, consistency and availability – all of which he has offered since being chosen first total within the 2004 draft.
In his NHL debut on Oct. 5, 2005, he scored the primary two targets of what can be a 52-goal season, the third-most ever scored by an NHL rookie.
Ovechkin, throughout his third season, scored a profession greatest 65 targets. He has recorded 9 50-plus aim seasons, matching the file shared by Gretzky and Islanders legend Mike Bossy. He has scored 40 or extra targets in a season 14 occasions, which topped Gretzky’s file of 12.
Alex Ovechkin milestone targets
First — Oct. 5, 2005
a centesimal — Oct. 12, 2007
2 hundredth — Feb. 5, 2009
three hundredth — April 5, 2011
four-hundredth — Dec. 20, 2013
five hundredth — Jan. 10, 2016
600th — March 12, 2018
700th — Feb. 22, 2020
800th — Dec. 13, 2022
894th — April 4, 2025
895th — April 6, 2025
Ovechkin received 9 Rocket Richard Trophies for many targets scored in a season, three Hart Trophies as most dear participant, and the 2017 Stanley Cup, which was the primary in Capitals franchise historical past.
With every aim alongside the best way, he inched nearer to greatness.
Gretzky had held the targets file since 1994 when he tallied his 802nd aim on March 23, 1994 to go Detroit Pink Wings legend Gordie Howe. Gretzky, who performed primarily for the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings, scored his 894th and closing aim got here on March 29, 1999, as a member of the New York Rangers. He retired three weeks later on the age of 38, holding 61 NHL information on the time, together with most profession assists (1,963) and factors (2,857), each of which nonetheless comfortably stand.
His targets file outlasted many Corridor of Famers who took intention however fell brief — with Jaromir Jagr scoring 766 targets earlier than retiring in 2018 and Brett Hull netting 741 targets earlier than closing his 19-year profession in 2006.
Ovechkin in December 2022 grew to become simply the third participant in league historical past to succeed in 800 profession targets, becoming a member of Gretzky and Howe. He started his twentieth NHL season in October needing 42 targets to high a file as soon as believed to be unbreakable. He missed 16 video games earlier this season with a fractured left fibula, pushing the file pursuit nearer to the tip of the season.
Ovechkin entered Sunday having scored in 4 consecutive video games. He scored twice on Friday towards the Chicago Blackhawks, together with profession aim No. 894 to tie Gretzky’s file complete.
He broke it with simply 5 video games remaining for the Capitals within the common season.
Ovechkin will now look to grow to be the primary NHL participant to attain 900 profession targets, a membership he’ll stay the only member of for fairly a while, if not completely.
Till – after all – somebody, sometime comes alongside.
