"Alex Ovechkin matches Wayne Gretzky's milestone of 894 career goals"
Alex Ovechkin equaled Wayne Gretzky's record for the highest scoring player in the NHL on Friday evening when the Washington Capitals' forward scored his second goal of the game against the Chicago Blackhawks who were visiting.
Ovechkin achieved this historic goal with 13:47 remaining in the game, giving the Capitals a 4-3 lead. The power-play goal was scored from the left side of the faceoff circle. The packed crowd at Capital One Arena gave him a standing ovation that lasted a couple of minutes while he and his teammates celebrated.
He scored his first goal with 16:08 left in the first period, firing a shot from just inside the right faceoff circle that beat Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight in the upper left corner. This goal, his 40th of the season, extended his record of 40-goal seasons to 14. Gretzky is second with 12.
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Even at 39 years old, Ovechkin remains one of the top scorers in the league. As of Friday, only two players (Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl with 52 and Toronto's William Nylander with 42) had scored 40 or more goals this season. Ovechkin has also only played in 60 games this season, having missed 16 games in November and December due to a broken leg.
Ovechkin has a history of reaching significant milestones against the Blackhawks. On December 13, 2022, he scored a hat trick in Chicago, reaching 800 career goals and becoming only the third player in NHL history to achieve this feat.
Gretzky, widely considered the greatest hockey player of all time, held the record for 31 years after scoring his 802nd goal, surpassing Gordie Howe's record, against the Vancouver Canucks on March 23, 1994. It took Gretzky 20 NHL seasons and 1,487 games to reach 894 goals. Ovechkin matched this record in his 1,486th career game.
Gretzky and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman were in attendance at Friday's game in Washington and will continue to travel with the team until Ovechkin breaks the record.
