Alex Ovechkin is a well-known player in NHL history, with numerous records already under his belt. However, there is one record he is still chasing that could solidify his spot among the all-time greats. Ovechkin is nearing the NHL’s all-time goals record, currently held by Wayne Gretzky at 894 goals. With 866 career goals to his name, Ovechkin needs 29 more goals this season to surpass Gretzky’s record by the end of the 2024-25 regular season.
The 2023-24 season was a bit challenging for Ovechkin, as he scored 31 goals, his lowest total since the 2012-13 season. Despite this, Ovechkin remains a consistent goal-scorer, with 42 goals in the 2022-23 season and at least 41 goals in 13 of his 19 NHL seasons. He currently has 1,573 points in his professional career, including 707 assists.
Ovechkin made history in the 2023-24 season by registering his 18th 30-goal season, surpassing Mike Gartner’s previous record of 17. He also had a standout performance on Nov. 17, scoring a hat trick against the Vegas Golden Knights in a 5-2 victory. With 13 goals already this season, Ovechkin is on track to potentially score 62 goals by the end of the campaign, which would be the second-highest in his career.
As Ovechkin continues to be a key player on the Capitals’ power-play unit, he is expected to have plenty of opportunities to score goals. Compared to last season, where he only scored five goals in the first two months, Ovechkin has started the current season much stronger.
CBS Sports will be closely monitoring Ovechkin’s goal-scoring progress throughout the season as he inches closer to breaking Gretzky’s all-time record. With his exceptional scoring ability and determination, Ovechkin is well-positioned to etch his name in NHL history as one of the greatest goal-scorers of all time.