Often thought of as a utopia, it has become a reality during the 2024-25 NHL season: Alex Ovechkin is now the all-time leading goal scorer in league history, surpassing Wayne Gretzky‘s 894 career goals. Throughout his career with the Washington Capitals, Ovi has terrified every team in the league—though some have endured more recurring nightmares at the hands of the Russian goal machine than others.
As the league reminisces about Ovechkin’s journey through the NHL and his road to immortality in the record books, some teams may still tremble at the sound of his name, as he has been a headache for organizations since entering the league in the 2005-06 campaign.
Ovechkin’s 895 career goals haven’t been evenly distributed among NHL franchises. Instead, some teams have endured and suffered Ovi’s merciless skill and wrathful shots on more occasions.
Surprisingly enough, Ovechkin has scored the most goals in his career against an organization that hasn’t shared the same conference as Washington in over a decade.
Ovechkin’s favorite victims
Alex Ovechkin has scored the most goals against the Winnipeg Jets, with a staggering 57 total, according to StatMuse. However, this stat includes the Atlanta Thrashers‘ era, as the franchise relocated to Winnipeg in 2011 after enduring Ovechkin’s dominance for over five seasons. Of those 57 goals, 30 came against the Thrashers.
The Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers are tied in second place, as they both conceded 52 goals to Ovechkin. The Tampa Bay Lightning closes out the podium, allowing 51 tallies to Ovi throughout his career.
Ovi’s Top 10 by goals scored against
- Winnipeg Jets/Atlanta Thrashers: 57 goals
- Carolina Hurricanes: 52 goals
- Philadelphia Flyers: 52 goals
- Tampa Bay Lightning: 51 goals
- New York Rangers: 46 goals
- Florida Panthers: 45 goals
- Toronto Maple Leafs: 45 goals
- New York Islanders: 45 goals
- Pittsburgh Penguins: 42 goals
- New Jersey Devils: 42 goals
Marching to glory
In case fans were wondering, Ovechkin has scored the most goals in his career during the month of March. Over 273 appearances—the most he has played in any month—he has totaled 161 goals.
However, October is when Ovi has scored at his highest goals-per-game pace, averaging 0.68 goals per game around Halloween. Fittingly, he further cements his reputation as the one who haunts NHL franchises.
SURVEY Which NHL franchise would you have wanted Ovechkin to play for during his career?
Which NHL franchise would you have wanted Ovechkin to play for during his career?
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However, it goes without saying that there’s never a good time for goaltenders to face Ovechkin, as his tremendous scoring ability continues to defy Father Time—even at 39 years old.