logo
CanucksArmy has no direct affiliation to the Vancouver Canucks, Canucks Sports & Entertainment, NHL, or NHLPA
NHL Notebook: Alexander Ovechkin breaks Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goal scoring record
alt
Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Tyson Cole
Apr 6, 2025, 14:16 EDT
Comments
Welcome back to NHL Notebook — the series here at CanucksArmy where we deliver you news and notes from around the National Hockey League — oftentimes through a Vancouver Canucks-tinted lens!
Well, hockey fans, it’s officially happened. We have witnessed one of Wayne Gretzky’s records finally get broken. And it happened on Sunday morning when Alexander Ovechkin scored his 895th goal against the New York Islanders, passing Gretzky’s record of 894:
As he’s done so much throughout his career, Ovechkin rips a shot from that left flank on the power play, beats Sorokin to score his 895th NHL goal and is forever etched in the NHL’s history books.
And to top it all off, he celebrated like we all thought he would: a belly-first diving celebration.
Ovechkin wasted no time breaking this record, as he broke the record just one game after he tied the record, scoring a pair of goals against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night.
The first goal he scored (893) came within the opening four minutes of the game. Ovechkin was battling around the front of the net with Blackhawks defenceman Alex Vlasic before he leaked away and finds an open position in the slot area for him to receive a quick pass from Dylan Strome and send a one-time snap-shot behind Spencer Knight:
He made everybody wait an entire period before potting the historic tying-goal and his second of the game.
And isn’t it just poetic that he does it from Ovi’s office on the power play?
The Washington Capitals enter the zone with the puck carrier entering on the right side. That allows Ovechkin to just trickle into the zone unguarded by any Blackhawk defender. Andrew Mangiapane and John Carlson pass back and forth, opening up Ovechkin for a one-timer in the left faceoff circle to officially tie Gretzky’s goal record.
His teammates rushed off the bench to join their historic captain:
Gretzky has been in attendance for the Gr8 Chase, waiting to pass the torch officially to Ovechkin.
It hasn’t been an easy season for Ovechkin. He got off to a record-setting pace to start the season, and it looked like he would undoubtedly break the record.
He started the season goalless for the first three games before scoring his first against the New Jersey Devils. He then went on a streak, scoring 15 goals over the following 15 games until November 18, when he got hurt against the Utah Hockey Club. Ovechkin still scored twice in this game but was injured with a broken leg and missed the following 40 days (16 games).
There are not many people who could break their leg and return to NHL action and score at the pace he returned with. Let alone a 39-year-old, in only 40 days, chasing hockey hisstory. That’s a lot of pressure but not enough for Ovechkin.
There likely won’t be a lot more of Gretzky’s records broken. So watching this one is something special. Here’s what teammate Tom Wilson had to say following Ovechkin’s tying-goal game against the Blackhawks:
“Seeing him skate over and bow down to Wayne’s box, it was just shivers. It was something that everyone just dreams of being a part of. To have a front-row seat and see him, I’m just so proud of him and so happy for him. As far as the game of hockey goes, it’s something that when I get old, I’m sure I’ll be telling that story over and over and over.”
What makes his scoring today a little more special for Ovechkin is that he gets to add another goaltender to the list of goaltenders he has scored on. That’s right; throughout Ilya Sorokin’s five-year career in the NHL, he has never allowed a goal against Ovechkin.
He has only faced Sorokin three times but has seen the goaltender stop all four of his shots on goal. But now, he’ll always remember the first goal he scored against his fellow countrymen.
As will we, as we watched Alex Ovechkin surpass Wayne Gretzky and officially became the greatest goal scorer in National Hockey League history.

Editorials

Breaking News