Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is celebrated as one of the greatest players in NHL history. Having already secured his place in hockey lore, the legendary forward is now pursuing Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record.
At 39 years old, Ovechkin is close to becoming the NHL’s all-time leading scorer, with a chance to surpass Gretzky’s record of 894 goals before this season concludes. The Capitals’ prominent player currently boasts 888 career goals, achieving his 35th goal of the season in the opening period of Washington’s 3-2 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night.
To overtake Gretzky’s record this season, he requires just seven more goals in Washington’s remaining 13 games.
Ovechkin’s career totals include 1,607 points (888 goals and 719 assists). On March 9th, he became the 11th player in NHL history to reach the 1,600-point milestone.
The 2023-24 season was less prolific for Ovechkin, as he scored 31 goals, marking his lowest full-season total. He did score fewer with 24 goals in the shortened 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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During the 2022-23 season, Ovechkin scored 42 goals and has achieved at least 41 goals in 13 of his 19 NHL seasons.
In 2023-24, he set an NHL record with his 18th 30-goal season, surpassing Mike Gartner’s record of 17. He has now extended this record to 19 seasons.
Ovechkin remains a key player on the Capitals’ primary power-play unit, ensuring he continues to have numerous scoring opportunities. He has clearly been scoring at a faster rate this season compared to last year when he only managed five goals in the first two months.
Follow CBS Sports for ongoing updates on Ovechkin’s goal count throughout the season and his progress toward breaking Gretzky’s all-time record.
