Ovechkin Shatters Gretzky's Record with 895th Goal

ELMONT, N.Y. — In a thunderous moment at UBS Arena, Alex Ovechkin became the NHL's undisputed goal-scoring king. With 12:34 left in the second period—though some clocks showed 7:26—Ovechkin ripped a wrist shot from the left face-off circle on the power play, beating fellow Russian Ilya Sorokin to make it 2-1 for the host Islanders. He took a cross-ice pass from longtime teammate Tom Wilson, with defenseman Jakob Chychrun providing a key screen, for his first goal against Sorokin.[1][2][3][7] Ovechkin had tied Gretzky's 894-goal record just two nights earlier Friday against the Chicago Blackhawks, scoring twice in that contest. The record-breaker came in his 1,487th regular-season game, all spent with the Capitals since they made him the No. 1 pick in the 2004 NHL Draft. Despite missing 16 games this season due to a broken left leg in November and December, Ovechkin reached 42 goals—his 14th 40-goal campaign, topping Gretzky's 12 for the most in league history.[1][2][3] The Moscow native now holds NHL records for power-play goals (325) and overtime goals (27), and with No. 894, he passed Jaromir Jagr for most game-winning goals (136). Gretzky's mark had stood for 31 years across 1,487 games with four teams; Ovechkin matched that total with one franchise. Playoff tallies don't count toward the regular-season record—Gretzky leads there with 122 to Ovechkin's 72—but Ovechkin's KHL stint yielded 57 goals.[1][3] Teammates swarmed Ovechkin immediately after No. 894 and again post-895, halting play for celebration. The Capitals' captain, known for his lethal one-timer from the left circle, overcame injury and time to deliver earlier than most predicted. At 39, his durability and scoring instinct rewrote hockey history.[2][3] Ovechkin's pursuit, dubbed the "GR8 Chase," captivated the league for years, especially after Gretzky endorsed him as the man to break it. Video clips captured the laser shot hammering home, solidifying his legacy as The Great Eight tops The Great One.[4][5][6][7]