Alex Ovechkin is on track to break Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record

Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals is closing in on the NHL goals record of 894 held by Wayne Gretzky.

Ovechkin has 879 goals and needs 16 to break the record.

Ovechkin entered the season 42 short of breaking the regular-season record by “The Great One” that long seemed unapproachable. The 39-year-old Russian is in his 20th NHL season and was on pace to get to 895 in February before breaking his left leg in a shin-on-shin collision in November. He missed 16 games but resumed his pursuit at Toronto in the Capitals’ first game out of the Christmas break.

Alex Ovechkin’s last goal scored

Ovechkin scored with 53 seconds left in the first period against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, taking a centering pass from Martin Fehervary and flicking it past Ivan Fedotov to tie the game at 1-1.

What records does Ovechkin already have?

Ovechkin already owns the NHL records for power-play goals and shots on goal.

He also has 134 game-winning goals, two away from breaking Jaromir Jagr’s mark (135). Ovechkin has scored on 180 goaltenders and counting, breaking Jagr’s record by beating Leevi Merilainen of the Senators for No. 874. Ovechkin has 177 multi-goal games, second to Gretzky (189).

Ovechkin earlier this season became the 60th player to record 700 career assists. He joined Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Jagr, Marcel Dionne and Phil Esposito as the only players with 700 goals and 700 assists.

Who are the NHL’s leading scorers?

Ovechkin, after climbing past Mike Gartner (708), Esposito (717), Dionne (731), Brett Hull (741) and Jagr (766), scored goal No. 802 on Dec. 23, 2022, to move into second behind Gretzky (894).

Who previously held the career goals record?

Gretzky has held the record since scoring his 802nd goal on March 23, 1994, to pass Howe. He added 92 more before retiring in 1999 after a total of 1,487 games over 20 seasons.

Gretzky holds 55 NHL records and even if his goals mark falls to Ovechkin — which he has said he is excited about — two seem truly untouchable: 2,857 total points and 1,963 assists, which is more than anyone else has in goals and assists combined.

If adding playoff goals, which do not count toward the record, Gretzky has the most of those, as well, with 122. Ovechkin has 72. Gretzky also had another 56 in the World Hockey Association regular season and playoffs, while Ovechkin has 57 from his time in the Russia-based KHL.

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