Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin becomes second NHL player to score 1,000 goals

Another mark on the incredible career for the GR8.

On Sunday, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored the 923rd goal of his illustrious career. It was also the 1,000th goal of his NHL career, regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs combined, joining Hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky as the only players in the league’s history to reach that mark.

The historic goal came against the best team in the NHL, the Colorado Avalanche. It was the quintessential Ovechkin goal. With less than six minutes to go in regulation, Washington was on a power play. Dylan Strome set up the future Hall of Famer for his patented one-timer from the left face-off circle, with Ovi hammering a shot by Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood.

Unfortunately for Ovechkin, the Avs would get the last laugh at the end of the day, coming away with a 3-2 win in overtime.

Ovechkin’s accomplishment only adds to an outstanding career that has almost nothing left to prove in his career. He helped the Capitals win their first Stanley Cup in 2018, and surpassed Gretzky as the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer last season. Outside of pursuing 1,000 regular-season goals, the Moscow native has done just about everything there is to do in the game.

The 40-year-old does have a couple of Gretzky’s records to chase down, if he so chooses. Gretzky scored 1,016 goals in the NHL, regular season and postseason combined. That number seems to be an easy one for Ovi to get to if he were to play another year. Depending on how long Ovechkin wants to play, he might have the chance to catch Gretzky’s all-time professional goal-scoring record of 1,072 goals.

Ovechkin has posted 1,676 points in 1,562 games. He’s won the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award three times, the Art Ross Trophy, the Calder Trophy, the Conn Smythe Trophy, and the Rocket Richard Trophy a record nine times.