Ovechkin career goal record chase: Tracker, highlights, more

On By Littum

After breaking the 800-goal barrier during the 2022-23 season, Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin now has his sights set on breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goal record of 894.

Ovechkin began the 2024-25 season with 853 goals and now has 866.

The date Ovi ties Gretzky depends on his scoring pace. According to ESPN Research, if he continues his current pace in 2024-25, he would score No. 894 on Feb. 9 against Utah. By using his career goal per game-pace he would tie on March 11 against Anaheim. Using his goals-per-game rate since 2020-21, the record would be tied on March 22 against Florida.

Follow along here as we break down every successive goal Ovechkin scores this season, including goal highlights, the upcoming Capitals schedule and how to watch it.

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NHL’s Top 10 in Career Goals

1. Wayne Gretzky (894)
2. Alex Ovechkin (866)
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)

Goals scored in 2024-25

No. 866, 865, 864: November 17 vs. VGK

Back in 2018, Ovechkin and the Capitals won the Stanley Cup in Vegas. There was less at stake in this game, but Ovi came through with a hat trick in the Caps’ 5-2 victory: a first-period power-play tally (assisted by John Carlson and Dylan Strome), a second-period score assisted by Matt Roy, and an empty netter to finish (assisted by Aliaksei Protas and Martin Fehervary).

No. 863, 862: November 9, 2024 vs. STL

Did you seriously think an 8-1 win for the Capitals would not include any goals from Ovechkin? Ovi scored in the second period (assisted by Aliaksei Protas and Dylan Strome) to make it 2-1, then added a power play tally in the third (assisted by Strome and Tom Wilson) to make it 4-1.

No. 861: 6 November 2024 vs. NSH

Ovechkin scored his eighth goal of the season at 10:25 of the third period on assists from Dylan Strome and Martin Fehervary.

No. 860: 3 November 2024 vs. CAR

Although the Capitals lost, 4-2, Ovi scored a first-period power-play on assists from John Carlson and Dylan Strome.

No. 859: November 2, 2024 vs. CBJ

Ovechkin was one of six different Capitals to score on the team’s route for the BJs, and his goals were assisted by Dylan Strome and Aliaksei Protas.

No. 858: 31 October 2024 vs. MTL

A 6-3 Capitals win with an Ovechkin goal as the capper? The fans went home happy from this one. Assists on this goal were from Aliaksei Protas and Dylan Strome.

No. 857, 856: October 29, 2024 vs. NEW

A rousing 5-3 victory for the Capitals included two first period tallies from Ovi, both assisted by Aliaksei Protas and Dylan Strome.

No. 855: 23 October 2024 vs. PHI

Ovechkin has a knack for making empty net goals and added to his career tally in that category to close out a win against Philly with an assist from Dylan Strome.

No. 854: 19 October 2024 vs. NJ

It took the fourth game of the Capitals season for Ovechkin to get his first marker of the campaign, on assists from John Carlson and Dylan Strome.

Upcoming schedule

Note: All games are available to ESPN+ subscribers at no additional cost as part of NHL Power Play on ESPN+ unless otherwise noted. Blackout restrictions apply.

man. November 18: at Utah, 9:00

Thursday 21 November: vs. Colorado, 7:00

Sat 23 November: vs. New Jersey, 7:00

Mon, November 25: at Florida, 7:00

Wednesday 27 November: at Tampa Bay, 7:30 (TNT/Max)

Friday 29 November: vs Islanders, 3:00

Sat 30 November: at New Jersey, 7:00

Tuesday 3 December: vs. San Jose, 7:00

Fri 6 December: in Toronto, 7:00

Sat 7 December: at Montreal, 7:00

Thursday 12 December: at Columbus, 7:00

Sat 14 December: vs. Buffalo, 7:00

Mon 16 December: at Dallas, 8:00

Tuesday 17 December: at Chicago, 8:30

Friday 20 December: vs. Carolina, 7:00

Sun 22 December: vs. Los Angeles, 5:00

man. December 23: in Boston, 7:00

Sat 28 December: in Toronto, 7:00

Sun 29 December: at Detroit, 5:00

Tuesday 31 December: vs. Boston, 12:30 p.m

Thursday 2 January: vs. Minnesota, 7:00

Saturday 4 January: vs. Rangers, 12pm (ABC/ESPN+)

Monday, January 6: at Buffalo, 7:00

Wednesday 8 January: vs. Vancouver, 7:30

Fri 10 January: vs. Montreal, 7:00

Saturday 11 January: at Nashville, 8:00

Tuesday 14 January: vs. Anaheim, 7:00

Thursday 16 January: in Ottawa, 7:00

Saturday 18 January: vs. Pittsburgh, 7:00

Tuesday 21 January: in Edmonton, 9:00

Thursday 23 January: at Seattle, 10:00 a.m

Saturday 25 January: in Vancouver, 10:00

Tuesday 28 January: in Calgary, 9:00

Thursday 30 January: in Ottawa, 7:00

Saturday 1 February: vs. Winnipeg, 7:00

Tuesday 4 February: vs. Florida, 7:00

Thursday 6 February: at Philadelphia, 7:00

Sun 9 February: vs. Utah, 12:30 p.m

Sat 22 Feb: at Pittsburgh, 3:00 (ABC/ESPN+)

Sun 23 February: vs. Edmonton, 1:00 (TNT/truTV/Max)

Tuesday 25 February: vs. Calgary, 7:00

Thursday 27 February: vs. St. Louis, 7:00

Saturday 1 March: vs. Tampa Bay, 12:30 p.m

Mon, March 3: vs. Ottawa, 6:30

Wed March 5: at Rangers, 7:30 (TNT/truTV/Max)

Fri 7 March: vs. Detroit, 7:00

Sun March 9: vs. Seattle, 3:30

Tuesday 11 March: at Anaheim, 10 p.m

Thursday 13 March: at Los Angeles, 10:30 a.m

Sat 15 March: at San Jose, 5:00

Tuesday 18 March: vs. Detroit, 7:00

Thursday 20 March: vs. Philadelphia, 7:00

Sat 22 March: vs. Florida, 5:00

Tuesday 25 March: at Winnipeg, 8:00

Thursday 27 March: at Minnesota, 8:00

Sun, March 30: vs. Buffalo, 3:00

Tuesday 1 April: in Boston, 7:00

Wednesday, April 2: at Carolina, 7:00

Fri 4 April: vs. Chicago, 7:00

Sun 6 April: at Islanders, 12:30 (TNT/truTV/Max

Thursday 10 April: vs. Carolina, 7:30

Sat 12 April: at Columbus, 7:00

Sun 13 April: vs. Columbus, 6:00

Tuesday 15 April: at Islanders, 8:00 (ESPN)

Thursday 17 April: at Pittsburgh, 7:00 (ESPN)