Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews makes one thing clear about chasing Alex Ovechkin's NHL goal record

After witnessing Alex Ovechkin surpass Wayne Gretzky to become the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, the conversation has naturally turned to who—if anyone—might one day break the new mark of 895 goals. However, Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews was quick to remove himself from that conversation.

Ovechkin made history by scoring his 895th goal during the Washington Capitals’ 4–1 loss to the New York Islanders on Sunday. The game was briefly paused for an on-ice ceremony honoring the milestone, with Gretzky himself congratulating the 39-year-old Capitals captain.

Following the game, Leafs teammate Matthew Knies suggested Matthews could be a candidate to chase Ovechkin’s newly set record. But the Leafs captain swiftly downplayed that notion.

Matthews puts the focus on Ovechkin

“That’s such a long way away or such a long way to go,” Matthews said after practice Monday, according to NHL.com. “And, you know, I don’t even think I should be in that conversation.”

Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period in an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on February 22, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

He continued: “I mean, this guy just broke the record. I’m so far away from that, and I don’t think that should be a focus for myself. It should be on Ovi—and rightfully so. It should be on what he’s been able to accomplish in his career, and obviously this record being one of them.”

see also

NHL News: Auston Matthews sends message to Alexander Ovechkin after he breaks Wayne Gretzky’s record

An elite scorer, focused on the present

While Matthews may be humble about the future, his present numbers are nothing short of elite. According to NHL Stats, the 27-year-old ranks fifth all-time in goals-per-game average (minimum 200 goals) with 0.64. He has tallied 398 goals in 623 career games—497 behind Ovechkin. At his current scoring rate, Matthews would need approximately 778 more games to surpass the new record.

Still, the Leafs forward, like the rest of the hockey world, was simply in awe of witnessing history. “Pretty cool,” Matthews said. “I think just to be able to witness that—I just felt like everything went right there. It was in his spot (left face-off circle), on the power play, the celebration … everything was amazing. And it was pretty cool to witness that record being broken. I mean, obviously, Wayne Gretzky—the amount of goals you have to score, the consistency, and everything that goes into it—so it’s obviously pretty cool to witness that.”

What’s next for Matthews?

Matthews now sits just two goals shy of the 400-goal mark. But his focus isn’t on personal milestones—he’s locked in on the Maple Leafs’ crucial road trip in Florida. Toronto visits the Florida Panthers on Tuesday and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday. Two wins would place the Leafs in an ideal position to make a strong push for first place in the Atlantic Division.