Alex Ovechkin goalscorer: The Great Eight 26 away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894

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’s now at 869 after scoring an empty-netter late in his return from injury on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Capitals won 5-2.

“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. His golden touch continued since the end of the 2023-24 season, when he got 13 goals over his last 17 games – making it a stretch of 35 goals in his last 35 games dating back to March of last season.

Unfortunately, a broken fibula sidelined Ovechkin on Nov. 18, causing him to miss 16 games for the Capitals. The Capitals captain has been durable throughout his NHL career, missing just 75 games due to injury since breaking out in the 2005-06 season.

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 (869)
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)

Remaining 2024-25 regular season games

Sun 29 December: in Detroit, at 5 p.m. ET
Tuesday 31 December: vs. Boston, at 12:30 ET
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 7 p.m. ET
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
Sat 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 8 p.m. ET
Sun, March 30: vs. Buffalo, at 3 p.m. ET
Tuesday 1 April: in Boston, at 7 p.m. ET
Wednesday 2 April: 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

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