Alex Ovechkin Overtakes The Great Gretzky!

April 10th, 2025 by Andrew Ciofalo

by Andrew Ciofalo ’25, host of After The Whistle

Wayne Gretzky’s scoring title of 894 goals has been dethroned! Washington Capitals left winger Alexander Ovechkin took over Gretzky’s crown on April 6, 2025, when he surpassed The Great One with goal number 895. Gretzky’s goal record was thought to never be broken, have we just seen the impossible? Well, no not even close. Highly improbably? Probably.

To know the feat that Alex Ovechkin just climbed, you must also know the feat that Wayne Gretzky climbed… Gordie Howe.

Gordie Howe for all intents and purposes, was the mountain. Howe played in the NHL for 26 seasons, 25 of those years were spent on the right wing of the Detroit Red Wings. Howe, AKA Mr. Hockey, conquered his mountain of Maurice Richard and his 544 career goals in 1963. November 10^th, 1963 was the date Mr. Hockey took the record and would build upon his new record. Howe would go onto play 9 more seasons in the NHL, increasing his total to a staggering 801 career goals. The longtime Red Wings right winger would finally retire after a 7-year period in the World Hockey Association at 51 years old in 1980.

Enter: The Great One. Wayne Gretzky started his NHL career in Howe’s final year. Fitting because Gordie Howe was Wayne Gretzky’s hero. The mark had been set, although probably seemingly impossible to reach.  801 goals over 26 seasons, how daunting is that!

Well, Gretzky did just that, on March 23^rd, 1994, The Great One scored his 802^nd goal, surpassing Howe’s previous mark. A mark that had stood for over 30 years, that monumental. Gretzky played 7 more years and increased his number to the well-known 894. Now, surely this number won’t be touched… right?

Fast forward another 31 years and that guess would be once again proven wrong. 894 was the number Wayne Gretzky set as the one to beat and it has finally been caught and surpassed. Alexander Ovechkin hit the 800-career goal mark on December 13^th, 2022, against the Chicago Blackhawks, a goal that made catching The Great One something that looked now possible. 3 years 95 more goals later, Ovechkin breaks The Great One’s 894 career goal record to become the NHL’s All-Time Goal leader. Now we wait and see, how much more hockey does Ovi have in the tank? When it’s all said and done, what will be the new mountain of goals to climb?