Alex Ovechkin Scores 895th NHL Goal, Passes Wayne Gretzky As All-Time Leader

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The NHL officially has a new all-time leading goalscorer and his name is Alexander Ovechkin. Ovechkin scored his 895th goal on Sunday afternoon against the Islanders, one more than Wayne Gretzky scored in his storied NHL career. 

Fittingly, Ovechkin scored the goal on a Capitals' power play, something that he's now done 325 times (also an NHL record). 

The game immediately went into a pause, as Ovechkin's teammates mobbed him on the ice, followed by a ceremony to celebrate the incredible accomplishment. 

Wayne Gretzky was on-hand for the occasion, and came down to the ice to congratulate Ovechkin for breaking his record. As did Ovechkin's family. 

On Friday night, Ovechkin scored two goals against the Chicago Blackhawks to tie Gretzky at 894 career goals. 

Ovechkin's 895th goal came in his 1,487th NHL game, the same number of games Gretzky played in his career. He also scored against Ilya Sorokin, a goaltender whom Ovechkin had never scored upon in his career. 

Sorokin, like Ovechkin, hails from Russia, and he happily congratulated the NHL's leading goalscorer, even though the record-breaking tally came at his expense. In fact, the entire Islanders' team shook the hand of the one they call, "The Great 8." 

Alex Ovechkin, the #1 pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, has spent his entire 20-year career with the Washington Capitals. The 39-year old superstar is a three-time Hart Trophy winner (NHL MVP) and a nine-time Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy winner (most goals among all NHL players in a season). 

He also led the Capitals to a Stanley Cup victory in 2018 and captured Conn Smythe Award honors (playoff MVP). 

Alex Ovechkin scored his 895th goal on Sunday afternoon against the Islanders to pass Wayne Gretzky for the most goals scored in NHL history.

Alex Ovechkin scored his 895th goal on Sunday afternoon against the Islanders to pass Wayne Gretzky for the most goals scored in NHL history.

(John McCreary/NHLI via Getty Images)

Now that Ovechkin is the all-time leading NHL goalscorer and a Stanley Cup champion, it's fair to wonder how many years he has left. The left-wing turns 40 prior to the start of next season, which would be the 21st in his career. 

Still, Ovechkin clearly has a lot left in the tank. Sunday's goal marked his 42nd of the season in just his 61st game played. 

Either way, Ovechkin's future is for discussion on another day. Sunday is all about celebrating the top goalscorer in NHL history. 

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to OutKick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named "Brady" because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.