Ovechkin had already surpassed Wayne Gretzky‘s historical record on April 6, when he reached 895 goals in a duel against the New York Islanders, leaving behind the mark that the Canadian maintained since his retirement in 1999. At 40 years old, the left forward is playing his 21st season in the NHL, after closing the previous one with 44 goals in 65 games, tied with Tage Thompson for third place in the league.
In addition to the goal record, Ovechkin achieved another important achievement on October 25, when he played his 1,500th NHL game against the Ottawa Senators. However, the player himself acknowledged before the start of the campaign that reaching 900 goals would be a more significant milestone. “I think 1,500 games is important, but no one has scored 900 goals. It’s a big and very special number,” commented the Capitals captain.
“Every achievement is a special moment. But tonight, without a doubt, is very special, being the first player to achieve it. It is a unique moment and believe me, I enjoy it. We have an incredible locker room. They support me a lot. I will always be grateful for that support. My mother, my children, my wife, my friends, they are all here. It is a very nice moment when you achieve something like that in front of them and the Capitals fans.”
Since his debut in 2005, Ovechkin has been breaking barriers: he entered the 800-goal club on December 13, 2022 with a Hat-Trick against the Chicago Blackhawks, reached 700 on February 22, 2020 against the New Jersey Devils and reached 600 on March 12, 2018 against the Winnipeg Jets. His 500th goal was scored on January 10, 2016 against Ottawa. Today, with 900 points, Alex Ovechkin establishes himself as a living legend, absolute owner of the record and eternal emblem of the Washington Capitals.
