Alex Ovechkin Breaks Wayne Gretzky’s NHL Goals Record
It’s been a long time coming, but Alex Ovechkin can finally call himself the NHL’s all-time leading scorer with number 895 on Sunday.
The 39-year-old overtook Wayne Gretzky’s mark of 894 goals after scoring on the power play in the second period of the Washington Capitals game against the New York Islanders on Sunday in Elmont, New York.
Ovechkin rocketed a wrist shot past goalie and fellow Russian Ilya Sorokin as the left winger’s family and Gretzky looked on at a UBS Arena.
Ovechkin netted his 42nd tally of the season, which is the third most in the league as Washington trails 2-1.
The game paused after Ovechkin’s goal for a ceremony to recognize his achievement.
In his 20th NHL season, many had been waiting for him to overtake the record this year. The Russian finally did so in his 1,486th game – one fewer than Gretzky’s 1,487.
While many had expected Ovechkin to break the record this season, the broken fibula he sustained in November delayed his march toward what many once considered an unassailable mark. The Capitals star, though, recovered quickly to get back on track.