The Capitals’ very own Alex Ovechkin has broken the NHL’s all-time goal record set by Wayne Gretzky today by scoring his 895th goal against the New York Islanders!
After tying the record the other night but passing up on an easy opportunity to break it on an empty-net, tonight, Ovechkin made history on his own terms.
When did Ovechkin score?
The record-breaking goal came 8 minutes into the second period during a powerplay!
The goal was fittingly a classic Ovechkin shot from his most notorious spot, which, over the years, we’ve come to know as “Ovechkin’s office”.
His goal cut the Islanders’ lead in half after they were up 2-0 over the Capitals after the first period, making the score 2-1.
While the game is still in the closing minutes of the second period at the time this article was written, the score is currently 3-1 in favor of the Islanders, who scored their third goal just three minutes after Ovi scored his record-breaking goal.
See the goal here:
Game update:
The Islanders scored a fourth and final goal in the third period, ending the game with a score of 4-1 with the Islanders winning over the Capitals.
Is Alex Ovechkin going to retire now that he’s broken the record?
Well, it’s hard to predict, given the emphasis that was put on breaking Gretzky’s all-time NHL goal record before this season ended, however, the Capitals’ captain still has one year left on his current contract, which he signed in 2021.
Ovechkin’s current contract was a 5-year extension deal worth $47.5 million and concludes after the 2025-26 season, which is when most league insiders expect him to step away from the NHL.
According to sources, after he retires, Ovechkin hopes to return to his Russian club, Dynamo Moskva, in the KHL.