Alex Ovechkin now stands alone for second all-time in goals.
The Capitals star scored career goal No. 802 with a minute left in the third period of Washington’s 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night.
Ovechkin tied Gordie Howe for second all-time in goals before moving into sole possession of second place.
The goal was an empty netter, but Ovechkin originally passed the puck over to Evgeny Kuznetsov so his teammate could get the shot off. But Kuznetsov slid it back over to Ovechkin for the goal.
“It’s very emotional. My parents are watching from home, my wife is here, my kids here, friends,” Ovechkin told reporters after the game, per NHL.com’s Mike Vogel. “Doing it at home is special; I thank them for all their support. That’s pretty good, that’s a history moment. It’s nice to be in this category of players.”
Now only one person stands between Ovechkin and the all-time goals lead: Wayne Gretzky.
Ovechkin still has a ways to go to get to Gretzky’s 894 mark he set back in 1989. It’s very unlikely Ovechkin scores 92 more times to tie the record and 93 more times to break it, but it’s certainly within reach before he calls it a career.
If Ovechkin keeps up the pace he’s on, he could see history in the 2025-26 season, which also happens to be the final year of Ovi’s contract with the Capitals.
