Washington Capitals legend Alex Ovechkin tied Gordie Howe earlier in the night on Friday. Now, he has surpassed Mr. Hockey and firmly has his sights set on Wayne Gretzky himself.
Ovechkin netted his 802 career goal Friday night in a victory over the Winnipeg Jets. This moves him into sole possession of second place in the all-time goal-scoring leaderboard.
The Capitals legend has sought Howe's record since scoring his 800th goal against the Chicago Blackhawks. His hat trick on December 13 made Ovechkin just the third player in NHL history to score 800 career goals.
The Capitals forward originally tied Howe earlier in the night on Friday. Ovechkin took a back pass from a teammate and ripped a shot five-hole for his 801st career tally.
“It’s great to be in this company, and obviously it’s pretty special,” Ovechkin said during the first intermission. “It’s great. I think we all create history right now. It’s a pretty special moment, and I’m pretty happy.”
Ovechkin's chase for the all-time mark is now down to one player. Former Edmonton Oilers superstar Wayne Gretzky holds the record with 894 career goals.
Mark Howe, son of Gordie, commented to ESPN that he believes the Capitals legend can surpass the Great One. “I've seen a lot of scorers that put the puck in the net like nobody can, but after a while the puck starts hitting the crest instead of the corner of the net. I haven't seen that with Ovi yet,” he said.
Regardless of whether Ovechkin surpasses Gretzky, he will likely spend the remainder of his career with the Capitals. He signed a five-year, $47 million in July last year, keeping him in the nation's capital until 2026.
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