Alexander Ovechkin scored his 895th career goal on Sunday, surpassing Wayne Gretzky to become the NHL’s all-time leading scorer.
The 39-year-old’s milestone marker was the Washington Capitals’ only goal en route to a 4-1 loss against the New York Islanders.
When the Great One retired in 1999, few thought his 894-goal tally would ever be beaten.
But on Sunday afternoon in New York, with the home crowd chanting “Ovi, Ovi,” the Washington Capitals superstar snapped the puck over the shoulder of Ilya Sorokin, securing the record with a patented Ovechkin snipe.
After scoring, Ovechkin sprawled on the ice in a swan dive, was mobbed by teammates and saluted by the fans – including Gretzky, who was on hand to congratulate the man who broke his record.
“It’s huge. It’s unbelievable. It’s unbelievable moment, and I’m happy,” said an overwhelmed and relieved Ovechkin about the record. “Finally, no one is going to ask me ‘when are you going to do it?’
“But I can say I’m very proud. I’m really proud for myself. I’m really proud for my family, for all my teammates that help me to reach that milestone and for all my coaches,” he continued.
A Physical Force
When Ovechkin broke into the league in 2005, he was a hard-charging power forward, a deadly sniper whose physical play and charismatic personality shook up a league that had no marketable superstar.
Early in his career he ruffled feathers with his crushing bodychecks and over-the-top scoring celebrations. As video clips of his goals, hits and celebrations went viral, he became a social media star, the first hockey player to break through into the burgeoning new-media landscape. Few will forget the legendary “fountain dive” celebration he led his teammates on after winning the Stanley Cup in 2016.
Throughout his career, he also played the perfect foil to Sidney Crosby, the Pittsburgh Penguins icon who pleased old-school fans by refusing to indulge in histrionic antics like Ovechkin’s. The pair engaged in many memorable playoff tilts over the years, with Crosby usually getting the better.
Gifted with a potent combination of blistering speed and a powerful shot, the Great 8 has proven to be an unstoppable terror for NHL goalies over the course of his glorious 20-year career. And as he kept piling up 50- and 60-goal seasons, fans gradually began to accept the fact that Gretzky’s mark could fall.
Perhaps the Russian’s greatest asset, though, is the superior physical health and injury-free longevity he has enjoyed in the later stages of his career.
While the physical skills and health of most athletes, including Gretzky, begins to tail off at age 35, Ovechkin, like Gordie Howe, football’s Tom Brady and basketball’s LeBron James, has somehow managed to avoid the common age-related decline.
In the last four years, he has scored 50, 42, 31 and 42 goals, keeping his name among the league’s top goal scorers, even as he approached the age of 40. He remarkably sits fourth in goals scored this season.
Who Will Break Ovi’s Record?
There’s no doubt that, if he can overcome the physical and mental strain of an NHL season, Ovi may have a few years left in him. If he can maintain his current level, there’s no telling how many more goals he has in store – 1,000 isn’t off the table.
Who will break Ovechkin’s record? The now-second overall scorer doesn’t think it will fall anytime soon.
“They say records are made to be broken, but I’m not sure who’s going to get more goals than that,” Gretzky asked.
RELATED
A League Of His Own: His Records May Keep Falling But Wayne Gretzky Remains the GOAT
