Wayne Gretzky suggested nobody will ever beat the new NHL goals record set by Alex Ovechkin after witnessing the Washington Capitals star surpass him with goal number 895 on Sunday.
Ovechkin achieved what was for a long time viewed as impossible by moving ahead of Gretzky with his goal against the New York Islanders.
He found the net with a thunderous shot beyond fellow Russian Ilya Sorokin on a power play with 12:34 remaining in the second period following an excellent pass from Tom Wilson.
With the Capitals trailing 2-1, the game was paused for a ceremony to mark Ovechkin’s incredible achievement.
Unsurprisingly, the man known as ‘The Great One’ was a prominent part of the ceremony, and he took the microphone to pay tribute to Ovechkin.
“I can tell you first-hand, I know how hard it is to get to 894; 895 is pretty special,” Gretzky said to Ovechkin. “My congratulations to not only Alex, his mom and dad, his family, his wife and kids.
“When I broke the record, my two kids were both the age of his boys, so it’s kind of reminiscent for me. And I’m so happy that two of my boys are here tonight.
“But there’s nothing better than the National Hockey League. They say records are made to be broken, but I’m not sure who’s going to get more goals than that.”
ALEX OVECHKIN IS THE GREATEST GOALSCORER IN NHL HISTORY! 🚨🚨🚨 #Gr8ness pic.twitter.com/NKef3VvNaJ
— NHL (@NHL) April 6, 2025
Ovechkin’s legacy will likely be somewhat complicated. He has received criticism for his previous support of Russian president Vladimir Putin and for stopping short of condemning the war in Ukraine.
Addressing a crowd packed with Capitals fans at the Islanders’ home in Elmont, New York, Ovechkin did not talk about his own legacy, instead making sure to heap praise on his teammates.
“Like I always say, all the time, it’s a team sport,” Ovechkin said.
“And without my boys, the whole organization, the fans, trainers, coaches, I would never stand there and obviously I would never pass ‘The Great One’.
“Fellas, thank you very much, I love you so much. We did it!”
