The Great Eight has chased down The Great One. On Sunday afternoon at UBS Arena against the New York Islanders, Alex Ovechkin scored his 895th career goal, passing Wayne Gretzky for the most goals scored in NHL History.
“What a day, huh?” Ovechkin said at center ice just moments after making history. “Like I’ve always said, all the time, it’s a team sport. Without my boys, the whole organization, the fans, the trainers, coaches, I would’ve never passed the Great One. So, fellas thank you very much, I love you so much.”
With Gretzky in attendance and 12:34 remaining in the second period and on the power play following a Pierre Engvall tripping penalty, Ovechkin sniped a wrister from above the left circle past Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin, prompting the Capitals bench to clear in jubilant celebrations that paused the game.
As it happened.#Isles #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/dEyK0wsGyQ
— Miles Bolton (@milesbolt) April 6, 2025
The Islanders bench proceeded to clear to congratulate Ovechkin, as well, while the UBS Arena scoreboard played a video tribute to his career.
On March 29, 1999, Gretzky scored goal No. 894 as a member of the New York Rangers against the Islanders. Almost 26 years later to the day, Ovechkin sets a new mark against the same team.
“I can tell you first-hand how hard it is to get No. 894,” Gretzky said. “895 is pretty special…they say records are meant to be broken but I’m not sure who is going to get more goals than that.”
The 39-year-old tied Gretzky in one fewer game, 1486-1487. It took the Russian sniper the same amount of games to score just one more goal than Gretzky and in an era with more elite goaltenders. The way the goalie position is played has changed over the years. Patrick Roy, the head coach of the New York Islanders played a huge role in the development of the position.
Ovechkin was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 entry draft by the Washington Capitals. He’s been a part of the organization since then and made his debut in 2005. Since then, he’s recorded 1,619 points, 895 goals and 724 assists. Those 1,619 points rank 11th in NHL history.
At the beginning of the 2024-2025 season, Ovechkin tore his left fibula on Nov. 18, placing him on the bench until Dec. 28. Had he not gotten hurt, he would’ve broken this record and created space between him and Gretzky.
Ovechkin is the definition of Hockey Royalty and will be talked about until the end of time — now officially in the same pantheon as Gretzky.
In addition to this achievement, the Capitals have a chance to win the Stanley Cup, as they sit atop the Metropolitan Division with 107 points. Ovechkin made a living and a legendary career from the left circle and dot on either side of the ice, burying one-timers.
Ovechkin’s accolades:
- 2005-2006 Calder Trophy winner
- 2006-2006 All-Rookie Team
- 2007-2008 Art Ross Trophy winner
- 3x Hart Memorial Trophy winner
- 3x Ted Lindsay Award winner
- 9x Maurice Richard Trophy winner
- 2017-2018 Conn Smythe Trophy winner
- 2017-2018 NHL’s 100 Greatest Players
While this goal record is a once-in-a-lifetime achievement, Islanders fans might have to look away when this highlight is played. They’ll be etched in history with their rival and a player who scored many goals against them, breaking their hearts in various ways over the last 20 years.
“Ilya Sorokin, thank you for letting me score 895,” Ovechkin said to the Islanders goalie. “I love you brother.”
