The Capitals players celebrated the 40-year-old Ovechkin’s goal exuberantly in the second period. In April, the Russian had taken the record from legend Wayne Gretzky, widely regarded as the best ice hockey player of all time, with his 895th goal. The now 64-year-old Canadian was the record holder for 31 years with 894 hits and attended the game in which the 39-year-old Ovechkin relieved him.
“It’s a huge number. No one has ever done it in the history of the NHL. To be the first ice hockey player to do that is a special moment,” Ovechkin responded.
Ovechkin’s stats
The total number of goals that Ovechkin has now scored in his career is slightly higher. In the past he played in Russia for several years and he was also active in Croatia for a season. In addition, there are of course the goals he scored for the national team.
Previously, Ovechkin was the first player with at least two hundred NHL goals in three different decades.