On April 6, 2025, in a thrilling matchup against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin etched his name in the annals of hockey history by netting his 895th career goal, thereby eclipsing Wayne Gretzky’s legendary all-time NHL goals record. The significant event took place in the second period while the team was on a power play. Ovechkin took his place in his familiar position at the top of the left faceoff circle. After receiving a cross-ice pass from his teammate Tom Wilson, he executed a powerful wrist shot that flew past Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin.
At 7:26 into the period, the puck hit the back of the net, securing Ovi’s position at the pinnacle of the NHL’s goal-scoring leaderboard. This marked a significant milestone in the sport, and such occurrences are indeed uncommon! Who was among the happiest individuals in the room? Indeed, it was none other than Wayne Gretzky. The legendary figure has consistently expressed his respect for the Russian hockey icon.
“I can tell you first-hand, I know how hard it is to get to 894; 895 is pretty special,” Gretzky told Ovechkin. “My congratulations to not only Alex, his mom and dad, his family, his wife and kids. When I broke the record, my two kids were both the age of his boys, so it’s kind of reminiscent for me. And I’m so happy that two of my boys are here tonight. But there’s nothing better than the National Hockey League. They say records are made to be broken, but I’m not sure who’s going to get more goals than that.”
That’s quite significant coming from Gretzky, especially since Ovechkin has just surpassed his record. Do you recall the comments made by the Great One’s previous coach regarding the Russian hockey star during his pursuit of that record?
“You scored goals. And the way that Ovechkin is a superhuman he’s like 245 pounds of solid muscle, and I just don’t want to see go to Russia. Does everybody agree or not? Understood? A lot of guys probably won’t say that. I’m sure Wayne won’t say it. But, you know, they say records to be broken. As far as I’m concerned, that one shouldn’t be broken,” stated Glen Sather on the 32 Thoughts podcast available on Spotify. These statements sound quite contrary to Gretzky, who has always showcased his support towards Ovechkin.
For Canadian fans, hockey transcends mere sport; it embodies a profound emotional connection. Their enthusiasm for the sport is palpable, and witnessing a Russian player surpassing their idol’s record is bound to sting. Ultimately, it all boils down to a sense of national pride, and Sather was determined to prevent anyone from surpassing Gretzky’s record. However, he had his concerns that the way Ovi was scoring goals in the NHL, the record wasn’t so far from his reach. So, here’s the scoop. In any case, it was broken! And are you aware that Gretzky never wanted this special goal to be an empty-netter?
Alex Ovechkin wanted to break Wayne Gretzky’s record in honor
In pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s record, Alex Ovechkin has netted a significant number of empty net goals. A grand total of 65 throughout his career! That figure surpasses the Great One’s career total by 9, and the Russian forward faced considerable backlash for it. During the Washington Capitals game against the Chicago Blackhawks, an interesting detail emerged from one of Ovechkin’s teammates.
“I asked him about 15 times. I didn’t want to be the guy to shoot it in the empty net if he wanted the empty netter… You don’t want to be the guy to shoot it into the empty net if he’s looking for it to pass, but he made it pretty clear that he didn’t want to get it on an empty netter, and you’ve got to respect his wishes,” Dylan Strome remarked.
At the Capital One Arena, the Blackhawks appeared poised to clinch a victory over the Capitals. Strome and Ovechkin both scored on the power play, shifting the momentum in the game against the Blackhawks. As the game approached its climax, the Hawks aimed to launch a full-scale offensive, inadvertently leaving their net vulnerable in the process. Immediately following this, Strome inquired of Ovi whether he was interested in pursuing that 895th goal during the match, given that the net was unguarded. Clearly, Ovechkin refuted the claim, as he aimed to eclipse Gretzky with integrity!
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