After netting his 895th goal against the New York Islanders on Sunday, Alex Ovechkin has solidified his place as the greatest goal-scorer in NHL history. Ovechkin`s chase for Gretzky`s record spanned two decades and resulted in some truly remarkable career statistics.
For a long time, Wayne Gretzky`s all-time goal record was considered almost unbreakable. However, Ovechkin entered the league and immediately began scoring at an impressive rate, tallying 52 goals in his rookie season of 2005-06. He maintained this scoring prowess consistently for twenty years.
Ovechkin`s longevity and consistency are astounding. Consequently, he has accumulated incredible numbers over the years, surpassing Gretzky in numerous categories. Ovechkin has become renowned for his performance on power plays, in crucial moments, and when playing away games.
Becoming the NHL`s all-time leading scorer was a long and challenging journey for Ovechkin. We will now analyze his path to this achievement with the help of some interesting statistics.
1,487 Games Played
For years, many in the hockey community believed Gretzky`s all-time goal record would eventually be surpassed. Ovechkin not only achieved this but also did so in the same number of games as Gretzky. Gretzky scored 894 goals in 1,487 career games. Considering the physical demands of hockey, reaching 1,486 games is a significant accomplishment in itself, even before breaking the all-time goal record.
565 Even-Strength Goals
Ovechkin is celebrated as the most dangerous power play player ever, and rightfully so. However, his 565 even-strength goals should not be overlooked. This figure is only one goal behind Gordie Howe for the second-most in NHL history. Gretzky still leads Ovechkin in this category with 617. In a few more years, Ovechkin could potentially top this list as well.
325 Power Play Goals
A defining characteristic of an exceptional competitor is their ability to succeed even when opponents know what to expect and still cannot prevent it. This perfectly describes Ovechkin on the power play throughout his career. Everyone in the arena anticipates the puck going to the left circle for his signature one-timer, yet no one has been able to effectively stop it. Perhaps, some simply prefer not to get in the way of such a powerful shot, including goalies. Fittingly, the record-breaking goal for Ovechkin was his 325th power play goal.
65 Empty-Net Goals
Much attention will be given to Ovechkin`s record of 65 empty-net goals. It`s important to clarify that this statistic should not diminish his achievement. Firstly, Gretzky played during a period of higher scoring in NHL history. Any slight advantage Ovechkin might have in empty-net goals is offset by the improvements in goaltending since Gretzky`s era. Furthermore, accumulating empty-net opportunities implies that Ovechkin`s teams have been consistently successful in winning games. To his credit, Ovechkin ensured that goal No. 895 was not an empty-netter.
5 Shorthanded Goals
If asked to estimate the number of shorthanded goals Ovechkin would score in his career, I would have likely guessed under five. It`s surprising that this number is even this high, as Ovechkin is not particularly known for his defensive skills. Perhaps he should have been given more shorthanded ice time throughout his career. Then again, maybe not. His last shorthanded goal dates back to the 2021-22 season.
2 Penalty Shot Goals
This number is lower than expected, but it is still double the number of penalty shot goals Gretzky scored in his career. It is almost unbelievable that the two greatest goal scorers in NHL history combined for only three penalty shot goals.
136 Game-Winning Goals
This is another record held by Ovechkin, which he surpassed with his 894th career goal. Ovechkin now stands alone as the player with the most game-winning goals in history, overtaking Jaromir Jagr in the process. This is an area where Ovechkin has an edge over Gretzky, particularly due to his effectiveness in the 3-on-3 overtime era. This achievement is nonetheless impressive, as Ovechkin has consistently made crucial plays in critical moments throughout his career.
32 Hat Tricks
While Gretzky`s goals often came in bursts, both in single games and season totals, Ovechkin has maintained a steady scoring pace throughout his career. Even with 32 career hat tricks, Ovechkin still trails Gretzky by 18 for the all-time record in this category. This is just one of several statistics that highlight Ovechkin`s remarkable consistency over nearly 1,500 career games.
65-Goal Season
The highest number of goals Ovechkin has scored in a single season is 65. This only ties him for 24th in NHL history, and Gretzky has surpassed this in four seasons. These include the two highest-scoring seasons ever, where `The Great One` scored 92 and 87 goals. Ovechkin has never approached these figures in an 82-game season, but his durability and reliability have compensated for this. He has consistently found the back of the net throughout his career.
14 40-Goal Seasons
The goal that brought Ovechkin within one goal of Gretzky, his 893rd, also marked his 14th 40-goal season in his career. Ovechkin already held the record for the most 40-goal seasons in league history and extended his lead over Gretzky with this latest milestone. Once again, Ovechkin demonstrates remarkable consistency. Regardless of his age, it`s almost guaranteed that Ovechkin will reach the 40-goal mark year after year.
14-Game Goal Drought (Maximum)
Speaking of consistency, Ovechkin has never experienced a goal drought longer than 14 games, and such droughts have been infrequent. Largely due to his effectiveness on the power play, Ovechkin has avoided prolonged scoring slumps throughout his career. In contrast, Gretzky`s longest goal drought lasted 21 games. This further emphasizes Ovechkin`s reputation as a scoring machine.
456 Road Goals
For some reason, perhaps due to the hotel accommodations or room service, Ovechkin has always excelled at scoring goals on the road. His 456 road goals are an NHL record. While fans in Washington D.C. have witnessed his scoring prowess many times, opposing fans have been repeatedly victimized in their home arenas.
57 Goals vs. Single Opponent
No opposing fan base has been more tormented by Ovechkin than fans of the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets. When the Jets were still the Thrashers, they played in the same division as Ovechkin, and he consistently scored against them. This explains why this statistic remains significant today, even though the Jets and Capitals have not been in the same conference for over a decade.
Interestingly, Gretzky also scored the majority of his goals against a Jets franchise, although not the same one. He scored 79 goals against the original Jets franchise, which relocated to Arizona and became the Coyotes before moving to Utah for the 2024-25 season.
