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,” has officially broken the legendary Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal scoring record with his 895th goal against the New York Islanders at UBS Bank Arena on April 6, 2025.
Ovechkin sniped a wrist shot past Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin with 7:26 into the second period, bringing to a close what has become known as the GR8 Chase. The goal was scored on a power play and from close to his famous spot — two conditions fitting of the NHL’s all-time leading power play goal scorer. Ovechkin dove onto the ice and slide on his stomach as his Capitals teammates cleared the bench to swarm and congratulate him.
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How Ovechkin Broke the NHL’s All-Time Scoring Record
The Russian-born Ovechkin, whose nickname is the “the Great Eight” after his jersey number in a nod to Gretzky’s own nickname, was drafted by the Capitals in the 2004 NHL draft with the No. 1 overall pick. Over the 20 years since, he’s become one of the league’s premier scorers, surpassing 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.
Gretzky, who is Canadian and 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. He’s considered to be one of the best and most recognizable professional hockey players of all time.
After Gretzky and Ovechkin, only the legendary Gordie Howe (Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers (now Carolina Hurricanes) broke the 800-career goal mark.
Ovechkin has now scored 41 goals in the 2024-25 NHL regular season and has been a major factor in the team making the playoffs and staying near the top of the standings this season. His goal against the Islanders solidifies his place in NHL history by shattering Gretzky’s record, which many thought to be impossible.
Top All-Time NHL Goal Scorers
Here are the top 10 highest goal scorers in NHL history:
- Alex Ovechkin (895)
- Wayne Gretzky (894)
- 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 42 goals so far in the 2024-25 season, including his record breaking shot on Sunday (as of April 6). That’s despite missing five weeks with a broken fibula. He has 27 assists, for a total of 69 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 | 1,483 | 1,567 |
| Goal Scored | 895 | 894 |
| Assists | 724 | 1,963 |
| +/- | +63 | +520 |
| Total Points | 1,620 | 2,857 |
| Short-handed Goals | 5 | 73 |
| Game-winning Goals | 135 | 91 |
| Shooting Percent | 13% | 17.5% |
| Shots on Goal | 6,845 | 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 724, 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.
- Ovechkin has scored more power play goals than anyone in NHL history.
- 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.
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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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