Alex Ovechkin tied Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record with his 893rd and 894th goals on Friday night as the Washington Capitals rallied to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3. The game-winning goal was the second goal. After Dylan Strome tied the game earlier in the third period, Ovechkin scored No. 894 on the power play with 13:47 left in regulation to give Washington the lead. The 39-year-old Russian superstar also opened the scoring with his 893rd less than four minutes into the game.
Gretzky was the first person there when Ovechkin attempted to break the record in the final stages. Gretzky should be at the New York Islanders on Sunday, when Ovechkin, 39, gets his next chance to make history. The home crowd roared with joy when Ovechkin broke the previous record, and the player gave his family, who was also there a kiss. At the subsequent play stoppage, footage from the star’s path toward the record was shown on the video screens. As soon as the game was over, Ovechkin’s teammates surrounded him. Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno led his team to congratulate the Capitals legend before heading off the ice. Ovechkin also skated around the ice and pounded his chest while looking out at the fans. “It means a lot,” he said on the team’s show after the game. I’m so emotional at the moment. You never think you’ll ever reach that point. During the game’s first intermission, Gretzky had paid tribute to Ovechkin and addressed the crowd. “I’m so proud that I’m here tonight,” Gretzky said. “Alex advised the commissioner with whom I spoke the previous day not to come here until I reached two. Yesterday, I was anticipating three tonight and thought, “Gosh, we better get on the plane and get up there.” I thought, “Oh my God, we might be able to leave after the first period” when he scored four minutes into the game. When Gretzky scored his 802nd goal against the Vancouver Canucks in March 1994, he broke the record set by Gordie Howe and became the greatest hockey player of all time. He held the record for 31 years. Throughout 20 seasons, Gretzky netted 894 goals in 1,487 NHL games. In the 1,486th game of his career, Ovechkin beat him. Even as he approaches 40, Ovechkin remains a league-leading scorer. Only two players had scored 40 or more goals this season—Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl had 52 and Toronto’s William Nylander had 42—and Ovechkin has now done the same. Due to a broken leg, which kept him out of 16 games in November and December, he has only played in 60 games this season.
