Ovechkin Closes in on Gretzky’s Goal Record: Greatest Scorer of All Time?
During a 16 January 2006 game in Phoenix, Arizona, twenty-year-old Alexander Ovechkin scored arguably one of the most iconic goals of his career. Rushing towards the net, the Washington Capitals rookie fell on his back protecting the puck—but, twisting and reaching over his head, managed to steer it towards the open goal. The result was a highlight-reel moment that future Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews, who attended this game as a child, had called “one of the best goals [he had] ever seen.”
A highly touted rookie in 2006, Ovechkin’s exploits drew comparisons to one of the sport’s most well-known names—Wayne Gretzky, who was also in attendance as the head coach of the hometown Coyotes. The notion of stacking up to “The Great One” seemed almost too lofty for many to imagine at the time. While Ovechkin had tallied a respectable 30+ goals by this game, Gretzky stood tall with 894—a fact brought up by commentator Joe Beninati during the game: “That means Alex is only 860 behind.”
Nearly two decades later, Ovechkin, now the 39-year-old captain of the Capitals, is closing in on Gretzky’s own record. “The Great 8” currently boasts the second-highest NHL regular-season goal total of all time, heading into February with 876 goals under his belt.
Ovechkin’s 802nd goal on 23 December 2022 moved him past Gretzky’s own hockey hero, Gordie Howe, for the second overall spot. He has surpassed the likes of Hockey Hall of Fame entrants Phil Esposito, Marcel Dionne, and Brett Hull—as well as longtime veteran Jaromír Jágr, who will be retiring from professional hockey at the end of what is now his 37th season.
From the beginning of his career, Ovechkin has established himself not only as a formidable goal scorer, but also as one of the league’s most recognizable stars. His list of accolades includes four MVP honours (three regular season and one playoff) and an Art Ross Trophy as the 2007–2008 overall points leader. Most astonishingly, Ovechkin has won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy—awarded to the league’s top regular-season goal scorer—a record nine times, more than anyone else in NHL history.
For Ovechkin, who spent his early years in Moscow amid the fall of the Soviet Union, hockey was—as GQ writer Michael Idov put it—”a destiny and a salvation.” Sport was a major part of his upbringing; he was born to Tatyana, a decorated basketball player and two-time Olympic gold medallist, and Mikhail, a professional soccer player. Ovechkin’s first introduction to hockey came at two years old, and he was formally pursuing the sport by age 8. This decision led Ovechkin to attend the Dynamo Moscow sports school, where he devoted significant time to crafting his game.
Ovechkin’s skills and passion soon put him on the radar of NHL scouts, and the Washington Capitals selected him as the first overall draft pick in 2004. While the 2004–05 lockout pushed Ovechkin’s debut to the following year, he made an immediate impact on the ice, notching a 106-point campaign that saw the rookie score 52 goals. His remarkable play earned him the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league’s top rookie, in addition to being named to the season’s First All-Star Team—the first rookie since 1991 to receive such honours.
As Ovechkin’s achievements grew, the Capitals—who had finished last place in their division in 2004—began to see their fortunes change for the better. By 2010, Ovechkin’s first year as captain, the Capitals had earned their first President’s Trophy with the league’s best regular-season record. By 2017, they secured two more first-place finishes. Then the grandest achievement of all came in June the following year: Ovechkin, the playoff MVP, was all smiles as he raised the franchise’s first-ever Stanley Cup.
With his legacy cemented in the United States’ capital, Ovechkin now has the chance to add another title to his name: the greatest goal-scorer of all time. Ovechkin entered the current season—the 20th in his professional career—needing 42 goals to surpass Gretzky’s record. He found the back of the net 15 times, bringing him to within 30 tallies, before injuries from an on-ice collision in mid-November sidelined him for 16 games. Ovechkin resumed his campaign the following month, scoring a goal in his 28 December return, and is back on track towards the record-breaking 895-goal milestone.
Ovechkin is now less than 20 goals away from the historic achievement—a long way from the 860 he needed on 16 January 2006.