It’s official, Alexander Ovechkin has made history. Scoring goal number 895, he takes sole possession of the all-time goals record. Ovi, who’s turned back the clock this season, even broke the record sooner than most thought possible. Fighting through a leg injury this season, Ovi has fought through adversity every step of the way en route to making history and breaking a record once thought unbreakable.
The Washington Capitals were the lucky team to get the number one overall pick in the 2004 NHL draft. Unfortunately, neither Ovechkin nor any NHLer would hit the ice the following season. Due to a lockout caused by salary disputes, Ovi would miss the entirety of his rookie season. Seeing that he would go on to score 52 goals the following season, there is good reason to believe that he would’ve scored more than a few goals in 04-05.
The lockouts didn’t stop there though, as in 2012 yet another lockout kept Ovechkin off the ice for 34 games. This time it was because of differing circumstances like free agency signings, revenue sharing, and whether or not to keep a fixed salary cap. Ovi still put up 32 goals in 48 games, but a question mark about how many more he could’ve potted still remains.
Because of the two lockouts, Ovechkin missed out on a combined 116 games. Using his career scoring rate, he would have likely scored an extra 65-70 goals. These games, during his prime years as well, put the Gr8 behind track to break Gretzky’s record. Many still held out hope though, as Ovi would go on to score 45+ goals in six of his seven next seasons. Nobody was prepared for what would happen in 2020 though.
As everybody knows, COVID-19 took the world by storm in 2020. This impacted the sports world as well, as many leagues had to adhere to strict travel rules, and because of that, had shorten seasons. The NHL followed suit, as the “Covid season” only had 56 games, of which, Ovechkin played 45, and scored just 24 goals. Missing out on another 37 games derailed his hopes of breaking the record he was now starting to close in on in the next three years.
At the end of the 2020-2021 season, Ovechkin had amassed 730 goals, good for seventh most all time. At 35, people were starting to lose faith in the Russian’s ability to catch the Great One. Lockouts and Covid through a wrench in the chase for greatness, but Ovi didn’t let doubter stop him from trying.
By the start of the 2024-2025 season, Ovehckin had accumulated 853 goals. He would need a 42 goal season to break Gretzky’s record. The likelihood of that happening was about 50-50, as Ovi had seen a production decline in the last two seasons. Nobody expected him to come out of the gates as hot as he did though. He had 15 goals in 17 games and was on track to smash the all time record. That was until November 18th, when he fractured his left fibula in a game against the Utah Hockey Club.
The estimated time missed for an injury like Ovechkins was anywhere from 3-6 months. Shockingly, he only missed 16 games, and was out for less than six weeks. There was no doubt about it, Ovi was determined to make history this season. He didn’t miss a beat after returning either, scoring 27 times in 43 games.
After a two goal game against the Chicago Blackhawks in which Ovechkin tied Gretzky’s record, all eyes look towards Sunday’s game against the New York Islanders. It was there that many believed Ovi would finally break the illustrious record. It was the second period, on the power play (of course). There was a fast break, and the man of the hour set up in his office at the top of the circle. There was a quick pass from longtime teammate Tom Wilson, and Ovechkin fired a wrister, that went in.
Just like that there was a new all time goals leader. He’d done it, after 1487 games, two lockouts, and a worldwide epidemic, Alexander Ovechkin had broken a record nobody though would be broken.
Alexander Ovechkin has cemented himself in the history books. Now, he will look to extend the record, and with the Captials having five more games left it’s certainly a possibility. It’s no doubt that the Gr8 is the greatest goal scorer to ever grace the game, and will be remembered for years to come.
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