Alexander Ovechkin, the Washington Capitals‘ long-time left winger with a cannon of a shot from his favored spot inside the left face-off circle, known as his “office,” is on the verge of making hockey history: Ovechkin is just nine goals away from tying the legendary Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal scoring record.
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When Will Alex Ovechkin Break Gretzky’s Record?
With just 18 games left for the Caps in the 2024-25 NHL season, Ovechkin, 39, has a real chance of making this the season he leaves his mark on the league’s history, by tying — and possibly exceeding — the all-time goal scoring record set by the “Great One,” Wayne Gretzky, one of the sport’s most iconic competitors.
Gretzky, who played for the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers before retiring and taking over coaching duties with the Phoenix Coyotes (now the Utah Hockey Club), scored 894 goals during his historic career.
After Gretzky and Ovechkin, only the legendary Gordie Howe (Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers) broke the 800-career goal mark. Ovechkin, whose nickname is the “the Great Eight” after his jersey number, has also surpassed numerous other NHL legends in his quest to be the all-time leading goal scorer: Jaromir Jagr, Brett Hull, Marcel Dionne, Phil Esposito, Mike Gartner, Mark Messier, Steve Yzerman and Mario Lemieux.
Top All-Time NHL Goal Scorers
Here are the top 10 highest goal scorers in NHL history:
- Wayne Gretzky (894)
- Alex Ovechkin (886)
- Gordie Howe (801)
- Jaromir Jagr (766)
- Brett Hull (741)
- Marcel Dionne (731)
- Phil Esposito (717)
- Mike Gartner (708)
- Mark Messier (694)
- Steve Yzerman (692)
How Many Goals Does Alex Ovechkin Have in 2024-25?
Ovechkin has scored 33 goals so far this season (as of March 12). That’s despite missing five weeks with a broken fibula. He has 20 assists, for a total of 53 points.
Ovechkin has been a prolific goal scorer throughout his career and a key component of the Capitals’ 2018 Stanley Cup win, where he earned a playoff MVP award. He’s been the NHL MVP three times, and won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy, which goes to the league’s top scorer, nine times.
Ovechkin’s highest single-season goal scoring total is 65, which he posted during the 2007-08 season, and he’s had nine 50+ goal seasons. He’s also notched 32 career hat tricks (scoring three goals in a single game), placing him fifth all-time by that measure, behind Gretzky (of course), Lemieux, Mike Bossy and Hull.
How Does Alex Ovechkin Compare to Wayne Gretzky?
Ovechkin may be about to surpass Gretzky as the leading all-time goal scorer, but is he really a better player than the Great One?
Let’s take a look at some of their key career stats, head-to-head:
| Stat | Alex Ovechkin | Wayne Gretzky |
| Years Active | 2004 – Present (19) | 1979 – 1999 (20) |
| Total Games Played | 1,475 | 1,567 |
| Goal Scored | 886 | 894 |
| Assists | 714 | 1,963 |
| +/- | +61 | +520 |
| Total Points | 1,603 | 2,857 |
| Short-handed Goals | 5 | 73 |
| Game-winning Goals | 135 | 91 |
| Shooting Percent | 13% | 17.5% |
| Shots on Goal | 6,803 | 5,089 |
| Stanley Cup Wins | 1 | 4 |
Despite Ovechkin’s inevitable position at the top of the NHL’s all-time scoring leaderboard, Gretzky can, by most measures, still be considered the better all-around player:
- Gretzky was more efficient shooter than Ovechkin has been, with his 17.5% shooting percent versus Ovechkin’s 13%.
- Gretzky’s 894 goals also came with nearly 2,000 assists, versus Ovechkin’s 714, making him one of the greatest playmakers to ever take to the ice.
- Gretzky won four Stanley Cups with the Oilers to Ovechkin’s one with the Caps.
- He did all of this during a period where he was competing against some of the most talented players the sport has ever seen.
A few caveats in Ovechkin’s favor, though:
- Ovechkin has come in clutch when he’s been needed: he’s notched far more game-winners than Gretzky.
- Gretzky moved around the league a fair bit and he was almost always on a top-tier team, while Ovechkin has spent his entire career on the Washington Capitals, weathering their ups and downs along the way.
Watch NHL Hockey on DIRECTV
That Ovechkin will sink his 895th goal and overtake Gretzky’s longstanding record is only a matter of time. The question that does remain? Which poor goalie will be the one he scores it on.
Are you a Capitals superfan, or just want to see Ovechkin ink his name in the NHL history books? You can catch all of the action on the ice every day with DIRECTV.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many goals did Wayne Gretzky score?
Wayne Gretzky scored 894 goals in his legendary career, the most of all time.
How many goals does Alex Ovechkin need to tie Gretzky's record?
Alex Ovechkin needs just 9 more goals to tie Gretzky.
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