Add another piece of incredible history to a truly unbelievable career for the Great Eight. Alex Ovechkin scored his 30th goal of the season against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night, tying legend Mike Gartner for the most 30-goal campaigns in NHL history.

Ovechkin has accomplished the feat a ridiculous 17 times, and now sits at 810 goals, just 84 shy of Wayne Gretzky's all-time leading 894. While the hockey world has wondered if he can surpass the “Great One” before the end of his career, even Gretzky himself has said it is now a matter of when, not if.

The 37-year-old scored his 30th of the campaign on a backhand off his own rebound in front of the net at Capital One Arena on Saturday. The Russian superstar has scored at least 30 goals in all but one of his 18 NHL seasons, and has led the Washington Capitals to a 23-16-6 record this season, scoring 30 goals and 19 assists in 45 games.

He's on a torrid pace in 2022-23, scoring ten goals in his past ten games, and is on pace to finish with 54. If he reaches the mark, it would be the most goals he's scored since he potted 56 in 2008-09.

And if Ovechkin does reach that mark, he will make even more history this season, passing Gretzky for the most 40-goal seasons in NHL history with 13, as well as surpassing Gretzky and Mike Bossy for the most 50-goal seasons with ten.

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Alex Ovechkin with big emoji eyes looking at the Stanley Cup

Ryan Bologna ·

Washington Capitals wing T.J. Oshie wearing big sunglasses with a speech bubble that says “Did somebody say playoffs?” Next to him is a hockey net with no goalie in front of it.

Ben Strauss ·

Action shots of Alex Ovechkin (Capitals) and Sidney Crosby (Penguins) each with fire in eyes

Michael Paul Whitaker ·

Ovechkin made history earlier this year when he passed Gordie Howe for second in all-time goal scoring when he potted No. 802 against the Winnipeg Jets in December. The former No. 1 pick is already widely considered the greatest goal scorer in NHL history.

Mike Gartner played his first ten seasons with the Capitals, and scored 30 goals in 17 of his 19 campaigns before retiring in 1998. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001.

The show goes on for Alex Ovechkin's meteoric rise into the record books, and he remains one of the most electric players in hockey.