Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is one of the most heralded players in NHL history. The legendary forward has already etched his name in history, but he’s still chasing Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record.
Now, at age 39, Ovechkin is on the verge of becoming the NHL’s all-time goals leader, and he can pass Gretzky’s mark of 894 before the end of the season. The Capitals standout currently has 892 career goals after he scored his 39th of the season Wednesday, capitalizing on a 5-on-3 power play during the second period of a 5-1 loss to the Hurricanes.
It marked Ovechkin’s third straight game with a goal.
Ovechkin currently has 1,616 total points (892 goals, 724 assists) in his professional career. The Capitals have seven games left in the 2024-25 season. Ovechkin needs three more goals over that span to top Gretzky’s record.
While Ovechkin is on pace and has some recent scoring momentum, he has little margin for error. If Ovechkin continues to score at this rate, there’s a chance he could break Gretzky’s record on the final day of the regular season, April 17, or perhaps sooner.
A multi-goal game would go a long way toward helping his chances. He’s accomplished that five times this season, but only once since late November. Here’s a look at the upcoming Capitals schedule and how many goals those opponents allow per game.
Capitals Upcoming Schedule
- April 4: vs. Blackhawks (3.59)
- April 6: at Islanders (3.06)
- April 10: vs. Hurricanes (2.66)
Ovechkin, who became the 11th player in NHL history to reach 1,600 points on March 9, scored 42 goals during the 2022-23 season, and has tallied at least 41 goals in 13 of his 19 NHL seasons.
He made history in 2023-24 when he registered an NHL record 18th 30-goal season, passing Mike Gartner’s 17 for the honor. He’s now up to 19 for his career.
CBS Sports will keep track of Ovechkin’s goals throughout the season and keep tabs on how close he is to eclipsing Gretzky’s all-time record.
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