Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin further cemented his legacy in the sport of hockey on Sunday by finally breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL record for most career goals.
After scoring a pair of goals in last Friday's 5-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks at home to tie “The Great One” atop the all-time list with 894 goals apiece, Ovechkin became the first player ever in the history of the NHL to score at least 895 goals when he sniped one from the left side for a power-play goal in the second period of a game against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York.
After his incredible and historic feat, the 39-year-old Ovechkin got a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I congratulate you on your outstanding record. You have surpassed legendary masters in the number of goals scored in National Hockey League regular-season games,” Putin said via a statement on Monday, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).
Article Continues BelowThe statement also said that surpassing Gretzky “has become not only your personal success, but also a real celebration for fans in Russia and abroad.
“I wish you health, good fortune [and] fighting spirit to conquer new heights in life and in sports.”
Islanders Russian goalie Ilya Sorokin gave up Alex Ovechkin's 895th career NHL goal, making him the 183rd different netminder that the three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner has scored on in the league. However, Sorokin had an outstanding job between the pipes overall versus the Capitals, as he helped the Isles score a 4-1 victory by rejecting all but one of Washington's 29 shots on goal.
With Gretzky now in Ovechkin's rearview mirror, the Capitals forward can look forward to becoming the first member of the 900-goal club in the NHL. He could pull it off before the end of the 2024-25 NHL regular season, as the Capitals still have five more games left to play, including this coming Thursday's meeting with the Carolina Hurricanes at home.