Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin, a celebrated figure in NHL history, continues his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s legendary all-time goals record.
At 39 years old, Ovechkin is on the cusp of becoming the NHL’s all-time leading scorer, with a real possibility of surpassing Gretzky’s 894 goals before this season concludes. Currently, the Capitals’ prominent player boasts 888 career goals, having just scored his 35th goal of the season in a recent 3-2 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers.
He now needs just seven more goals in the Capitals’ remaining 13 games to overtake Gretzky’s record this season.
Ovechkin’s career totals are impressive, with 1,607 points (888 goals and 719 assists). Earlier this year, on March 9th, he became only the 11th player in NHL history to reach the 1,600-point milestone.
The 2023-24 season saw a slight dip in Ovechkin’s goal-scoring form, with 31 goals marking his lowest full-season total. He did score fewer goals in the shortened 2020-21 season (24), which was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the 2022-23 season, Ovechkin scored 42 goals and has achieved at least 41 goals in 13 of his 19 NHL seasons.
During the 2023-24 season, he set a new NHL record by achieving his 18th 30-goal season, surpassing Mike Gartner’s previous record of 17. He has now extended this record to 19 seasons.
Ovechkin remains a key player on the Capitals’ power play, ensuring he continues to have numerous scoring opportunities. His current scoring rate is significantly higher compared to the previous season when he only managed five goals in the first two months.
Updates on Ovechkin’s goal count and his progress towards Gretzky’s all-time record will be provided throughout the season.
