Alex Ovechkin remains relentless in his pursuit of breaking the legendary Wayne Gretzky’s goal record, and he’s closer than ever. In one historic night, Ovechkin tied the record with 894 goals, achieving the milestone in fewer games than Gretzky played throughout his career.
According to the stats, Ovechkin has played 1,486 games at the time of tying the record—one fewer than Wayne Gretzky, who reached 894 goals in 1,487 official NHL games. Such consistency over a long career is exceptionally rare to witness.
Unfortunately, Ovechkin couldn’t break the record during the Capitals’ game against the Blackhawks, despite having an empty-net opportunity. He reflected on the moment, saying, “I’ve had pretty good chances in the last minutes… I told Carberry right the way I didn’t want to do it… I’m happy for it.”
It’s worth highlighting that this NHL season, Ovechkin has already scored 41 goals, surpassing the 31 he managed last season. Despite playing 79 games last year and falling short in goal production, this season he has played 19 fewer games and boasts a significantly higher scoring average.
Carbery confirmed Ovechkin’s approach to breaking the record
After the game, Carbery confirmed that Ovechkin had indeed requested not to take advantage of the empty-net opportunity to break the record. The Capitals’ star made it clear he wants his record to be legitimate, stating, “He wants to break the record with a goaltender in the crease.”
When can Ovechkin break Gretzky’s record?
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Ovechkin’s next chance to surpass Gretzky’s mark will be on Sunday, April 6, when the Capitals face the Islanders on the road. If he doesn’t reach the milestone then, the next opportunity will be at home on April 10 against Carolina.
