Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals is closing in on the NHL career goals record of 894 held by Wayne Gretzky.
Ovechkin has 868 goals after scoring 15 in the first 18 games this season. He needs 27 to set a new record.
Ovechkin entered the season 42 short of breaking a 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. While he has returned to the ice to do some light skating, Ovechkin is still expected to miss four to six weeks.
Ovechkin scored twice in a 6-2 win over the Utah Hockey Club on Nov. 18, getting goals 867 and 868 in his first game in Salt Lake City before leaving in the third period.
Based on the timeframe laid out by the team, with no surgery required for the injury, Ovechkin figures to return sometime in late December or early January.
Ovechkin already owns the NHL records for power-play goals with 316 and shots on goal with 6,690.
He also has 132 game-winning goals, four away from breaking Jaromir Jagr’s mark (135).
Ovechkin has scored on 178 different goaltenders and counting, tying Jagr.
Ovechkin has 177 multi-goal games, second to Gretzky (189).
Ovechkin earlier this season became the 60th player to record 700 career assists and is now at 707. He joined Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Jagr, Dionne and Phil Esposito as the only players with 700 goals and 700 assists.
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 all time behind Gretzky (894).
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. Ovechkin has played in 1,444 total games so far.
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.
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