Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is on the verge of becoming one of the most accomplished players in NHL history.
Enter the 2024-25 season, Ovechkin is closing in on becoming the NHL’s all-time goals leader. Ovechkin comes into the year with a chance to surpass Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record (894) during the 2024-25 regular season. The Capitals standout currently has 853 career goals, so he would need to rack up 42 goals in order to top Gretzky’s league record.
The 2023-24 campaign proved to be a mortal one for Ovechkin, who scored 31 goals last season. Ovechkin’s 31 goals was his lowest goal-scoring total since he netted 32 goals in the 2012-13 season. Ovechkin did have just 24 goals in 2020-21, but that season was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ovechkin scored 42 goals during the 2022-23 season, and has tallied at least 41 goals in 13 of his 19 NHL seasons.
Ovechkin currently has tallied 1,550 points (853 goals, 697 assists) entering the 2024-25 campaign. He did make even more history in 2023-24 when he registered an NHL record 18th 30-goal season as he passed Mike Gartner (17) for the honor.
Ovechkin will open the 2024-25 season against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, Oct. 12. The Capitals open the campaign with a three-game home stand before hitting the road to start off the season.
Ovechkin will likely continue to be an established force on the Capitals’ top power-play unit, so there will be plenty of goal-scoring opportunities. He will look to get off to a hotter start than he did in 2023-24 when he recorded just five goals over the first two months of the season.
CBS Sports will keep track of Ovechkin’s goals throughout the 2024-25 season and keep tabs on how close he is to eclipsing Gretzky’s all-time record.
As one of the greatest goal scorers in NHL history, Alex Ovechkin has been steadily climbing the ranks towards tying Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record. With just 41 goals separating him from this historic milestone, fans and analysts alike are closely tracking Ovechkin’s progress as he continues to light up the scoreboard for the Washington Capitals.
Ovechkin, who was drafted first overall by the Capitals in 2004, has consistently been one of the league’s most prolific scorers throughout his career. Known for his lethal shot and physical playing style, Ovechkin has amassed an impressive 730 goals in 1,197 games as of the end of the 2020-2021 season. This puts him in sixth place on the all-time goals list, trailing Gretzky’s record of 894 goals.
Despite being 35 years old, Ovechkin shows no signs of slowing down. In the shortened 56-game 2020-2021 season, he scored 24 goals in just 45 games, leading the Capitals in scoring once again. With his elite goal-scoring ability and durability, Ovechkin remains a force to be reckoned with on the ice.
To tie Gretzky’s record, Ovechkin will need to maintain his scoring pace and stay healthy over the next few seasons. While it is no easy feat to score 41 goals at any age, Ovechkin has shown time and time again that he is capable of putting up big numbers year after year.
As Ovechkin continues his quest to make history, fans can expect to witness some memorable moments as he inches closer to Gretzky’s record. Whether it’s a blistering one-timer from the top of the circle or a gritty goal in front of the net, Ovechkin’s scoring prowess is unmatched in today’s game.
With each goal he scores, Ovechkin moves one step closer to etching his name alongside Gretzky in the record books. And as he approaches this historic milestone, hockey fans around the world will be eagerly watching and cheering on the “Great 8” as he chases greatness.
