Alex Ovechkin goalscorer: The Great Eight 25 away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894

On January 1, 2025By Littum

TORONTO, ON - Ovechkin, who has 870 career NHL goals, has 17 goals in 20 games played this season with the Capitals. (Photo by Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images) — TORONTO, ON – Ovechkin, who has 870 career NHL goals, has 17 goals in 20 games played this season with the Capitals. (Photo by Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

A once-seemingly unbreakable NHL record could fall as early as the 2024-2025 season thanks to the scoring prowess of Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin.

The Great Eight are within striking distance of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goal record of 894, which Gretzky achieved on March 29, 1999 against the New York Islanders. Ovechkin began this season with 853 career goals.

He remains at 870 after failing to score during Washington’s 3-1 win over the Boston Bruins during a New Year’s Eve matinee.

“It’s just a matter of time, whether it’s late this year, early next year, whenever,” Gretzky told NHL.com earlier this season about Ovechkin’s chances of breaking his record. “I mean he’s a great player. He’s a great goalscorer.”

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in December that he will follow Ovechkin around when he is within four or five goals of the record with Gretzky accompanying him.

Ovechkin started this season red hot with 15 goals in his first 18 games. Unfortunately, a broken fibula suffered on November 18 caused him to miss 16 games for the Capitals. The “Russian Machine” has been durable throughout his NHL career, missing just 75 games due to injury since breaking out in the 2005-06 season.

Since returning from injury on December 28, Ovechkin has scored two goals in three games.

Ovechkin will resume his pursuit of Gretzky’s record Thursday against the Minnesota Wild.

We’ll track Ovechkin’s run to 894 goals and more all season.

NHL top-10 in career goals

1. Wayne Gretzky (894)
2. Alex Ovechkin (870)
3. Gordie Howe (801)
4. Jaromir Jagr (766)
5. Brett Hull (741)
6. Marcel Dionne (731)
7. Phil Esposito (717)
8. Mike Gartner (708)
9. Mark Messier (694)
10. Steve Yzerman (692)

12/27/05 - Ovechkin - (Photo by Joel Richardson/The Washington Post via Getty Images) — Ovechkin in 2005. (Photo by Joel Richardson/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Remaining 2024-25 regular season games

Thursday 2 January: vs. Minnesota, at 7 p.m. ET
Saturday 4 January: vs. Rangers, at 12 A.M
Monday, January 6: at Buffalo, at 19 A.M
Wednesday 8 January: vs. Vancouver, 7:30 p.m. ET
Fri 10 January: vs. Montreal, at 7 p.m. ET
Saturday 11 January: in Nashville, at 8 p.m. ET
Tuesday 14 January: vs. Anaheim, at 7 p.m. ET
Thursday 16 January: in Ottawa, at 19 A.M
Saturday 18 January: vs. Pittsburgh, at 7 p.m. ET
Tuesday 21 January: in Edmonton, at 9 p.m. ET
Thursday 23 January: in Seattle, at 10 p.m. ET
Saturday 25 January: at Vancouver, 10 p.m. ET
Tuesday 28 January: in Calgary, at 9 p.m. ET
Thursday 30 January: in Ottawa, at 7 p.m. ET
Saturday 1 February: vs. Winnipeg, at 7 p.m. ET
Tuesday 4 February: vs. Florida, at 7 p.m. ET
Thursday 6 February: in Philadelphia, at 19 A.M
Sun 9 February: vs. Utah, at 12:30 p.m. ET
Saturday 22 February: at Pittsburgh, 3:00 PM ET
Sun 23 February: vs. Edmonton, at 1 p.m. ET
Tuesday 25 February: vs. Calgary, at 7 p.m. ET
Thursday 27 February: vs. St. Louis, at 7 p.m. ET
Saturday 1 March: vs. Tampa Bay, at 12:30 ET
Mon, March 3: vs. Ottawa, 6:30 p.m. ET
Wed March 5: at Rangers, 19 A.M
Fri 7 March: vs. Detroit, at 7 p.m. ET
Sun March 9: vs. Seattle, 3:30 p.m. ET
Tuesday 11 March: at Anaheim, at 10 p.m. ET
Thursday 13 March: at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m. ET
Sat 15 March: in San Jose, at 5 p.m. ET
Tuesday 18 March: vs. Detroit, at 7 p.m. ET
Thursday 20 March: vs. Philadelphia, at 7 p.m. ET
Sat 22 March: vs. Florida, at 5 p.m. ET
Tuesday 25 March: in Winnipeg, at 8 p.m. ET
Thursday 27 March: at Minnesota, at 20 A.M
Sun 30 March: vs. Buffalo, at 3 p.m. ET
Tuesday 1 April: in Boston, at 19 A.M
Wednesday, April 2: at Carolina, at 19 A.M
Fri 4 April: vs. Chicago, at 7 p.m. ET
Sun 6 April: at Islanders, 12:30 PM ET
Thursday 10 April: vs. Carolina, 7:30 p.m. ET
Sat 12 April: in Columbus, at 19 A.M
Sun 13 April: vs. Columbus, at 6 p.m. ET
Tuesday 15 April: at Islanders, 20 A.M
Thursday 17 April: in Pittsburgh, at 7 p.m. ET

Alex Ovechkin has scored on 178 different goaltenders since entering the NHL in 2005. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images)

Ovechkin milestone goal timeline

No. 1: October 2, 2005 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (Pascal Leclaire)

No. 50: April 13, 2006 vs. Atlanta Thrashers (Mike Dunham)

No. 100: October 12, 2007 vs. New York Rangers (Henrik Lundqvist)

No. 200: February 5, 2009 (Jonathan Quick)

no. 300: April 5, 2011 (James Reimer)

No. 400: 20 December 2013 (empty net)

No. 500: 10 January 2016 (Andrew Hammond)

no. 600: March 12, 2018 (Connor Hellebuyck)

No. 700: 22 February 2020 (Mackenzie Blackwood)

No. 800: 13 December 2022 (Petr Mrazek)

Postseason hat tricks (32 career)

2005-06: 1
2006-07: 1
2007-08: 3
2008-09: 3
2009-10: 1
2010-11: 1
2011-12: 0
2012-13: 2
2013-14: 1
2014-15: 0
2015-16: 2
2016-17: 2
2017-18: 3
2018-19: 3
2019-20: 4
2020-21: 0
2021-22: 1
2022-23: 2
2023-24: 0
2024-25: 1