Ice hockey player Alexander Ovechkin Has Tied The NHL Record

Russian ice hockey player Alexander Ovechkin has tied the all-time top scorer Wayne Gretzky in the NHL.

Ovechkin scored two goals for the Washington Capitals against the Chicago Blackhawks (5-3) on Friday, bringing his total to 894 goals.

The 39-year-old Ovechkin received a standing ovation in the Capital One Arena, the stadium of the Washington Capitals. The legendary Gretzky, who is considered the best ice hockey player of all time, was present at the historic moment.

The 64-year-old Canadian will also visit the upcoming games of the Capitals. Gretzky held the record for 31 years and wants to be there when Ovechkin finally replaces him.

It means a lot to me, Ovechkin said in an initial reaction to equaling the record. “I’m so emotional right now. You can’t believe that you’ll ever reach this milestone.”

With his first goal in the duel with Chicago, Ovechkin reached a season total of forty goals. It is the fourteenth season in a row in which he scores forty or more goals.

He had already taken over that record in 2023 from Gretzky, who scored forty or more goals for twelve seasons in a row.

For years, Gretzky’s record, which he played in the NHL from 1979 to 1999, seemed unattainable.

When Ovechkin broke the magical barrier of eight hundred goals at the end of 2022 and shortly after passed number two Gordie Howe (801 goals), Gretzky’s record came into view. Almost 2.5 years later, Ovechkin has equaled the record.

Incidentally, Ovechkin is not only much talked about in the NHL because of his goal production.

The Great Eight is also known as a friend of Vladimir Putin. His profile picture on Instagram has been a photo of him with the Russian president for years.

The controversial Ovechkin has also never distanced himself from the war in Ukraine in strong terms. This has led to strong criticism in the United States and Canada.