Just how close is Alex Ovechkin to breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record?
Global News
Alex Ovechkin has 884 goals.
Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals is closing in on the NHL goals record of 894 held by Wayne Gretzky.
Ovechkin has 884 goals and needs 10 to tie and 11 to break the record.
Ovechkin entered the season 42 short of breaking the regular-season record by “The Great One” that had 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 in November. He missed 16 games but resumed his pursuit at Toronto in the Capitals’ first game out of the Christmas break.
Ovechkin scored in the third period of a 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay on March 1, his 31st goal of the season.
Ovechkin already owns the NHL records for power-play goals and shots on goal.
He also has 135 game-winning goals, tied for the most with Jaromir Jagr. Ovechkin has scored on 181 different goaltenders, breaking Jagr’s record by beating Leevi Merilainen of the Senators with No. 874. Ovechkin has 178 multi-goal games, second to Gretzky (189).
Ovechkin earlier this season became the 60th player to record 700 career assists. He joined Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Jagr, Marcel Dionne and Phil Esposito as the only players with 700 goals and 700 assists.
