23 Goals Away from History; NHL All Time Record is About to be Broken

Alex Ovechkin is just 23 goals away from passing Wayne Gretzky as the NHL’s all time leader in goals. Ovechkin (Ovie) plays for the Washington Capitals and is their captain. The number one pick in the 2004 draft, Alex is in his 20th season, the same number of seasons Gretzky played before retirement. Ovechkin is signed to play through the 2025-26 NHL season. Gretzky broke the previous record on May 23, 1994, and has been untouched for 30 years. Part of what’s outstanding about Ovechkin is that even though he is in his 20th season, the NHL had a lockout season in Ovechkin’s rookie season, and didn’t play a game for 310 days. Additionally, Alex played through the Covid-19 pandemic, when the world shut down for nearly two years. Ovechkin has faced large amounts of adversity and yet is still 23 goals away from a record. Gretzky seems to be impressed with Ovechkin’s greatness and perseverance. “What Ovechkin has done has been incredible, remarkable, and great for the game,” Gretzky said. “He's been a big part of the success of the NHL and the Capitals. He's been nothing but positive for our sport so it's good for him. Hopefully I'm there to shake his hand when he breaks the record.”