It’s been 7,123 days since he made his debut in the National Hockey League. He played 1,487 games. Now a record that many things would never be broken have been overthrown – and it belongs to “The Great 8”.
Alexander Ovechkin is alone. His goal in the second period of the Washington Capital Power Power of the game has become the 895th of his career, moving him in front of Wayne Gretzky for the most goals of a NHL career.
Save a thought for the New York Icelanders Guardian Ilya Sorokin. Russian Camère, Sorokin had never abandoned a goal against Ovechkin throughout his career. Now he will be the answer to a question from Trivia from Hockey Immortal: “What guardian abandoned the objective that saw Alex Ovechkin win the record of all time for the goals scored?”
It was a goal of Manuel d’Ovechkin. They may have called the area behind the net “Gretzky office”, but “Ovi’s place” is the left side circle. He has marked many goals on this side of the ice, and it was normal for the record to come from the same place.
Tom Wilson, a man who has been Ovechkin’s teammate since 2012, had his first and 100th goals helped by the Russian star. Today, he has credited the main help on the objective of solidifying the Place d’Ovi in records.
While the washer was beating Sorokin’s stick, Ovechkin was heading for the central circle to celebrate – slide on his belly before being assaulted by his teammates when they came out of the bench.
Alexander Ovechkin celebrates his 895th career goal, the maximum of the NHL
His shooting of the left circle – a place where he got used to – broke Ilya Sorokin for the record
Ovechkin’s capital teammates came to stream the bench and assailed it on the ice
Depending on the occasion, the game was arrested. UBS Arena was held and applauded – both the red and the blue and orange dressed in the same way – and treated the 39 -year -old a choir of ‘Ovi, Ovi, Ovi’.
Just like when he tied Gretzky, he pointed out the sky and applauded, a tribute to his late father.
Then he patinated around the ice rink paying tribute to the fans.
A blue carpet was deployed and Ovechkin took a curtain call. A table ordered for the occasion was presented to him.
The NHL commissioner, Gary Bettman, went down on the ice, treated a choir of hoots.
The wife of Ovechkin, Anastasia, her children, Sergei and Ilya, his mother, Tatyana and other family members also came out on the carpet. The owner of the capital was also leonsis.
Then, of course, the man he spent for the record. Just as Gordie Howe did when Gretzky exceeded ‘Mr. “Mark in 1994” of hockey, the Grand ‘was on site for the creation of history.
“We are here to celebrate this guy here, n ° 8,” Gretzky said about Ovechkin during the ice ceremony. “They say records are made to be broken, but I’m not sure who will get more goals than that.”
Like Gordie Howe did for him in 1994, Wayne Gretzky shakes Ovechkin’s hand on Sunday
Gretzky kisses Ovechkin on the ice. In the left photo, the NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman
L to R: Ovechkin, Ovechkin’s wife Anastasia, Wayne Gretzky and the wife of Gretzky Jones Jones
Ovechkin then addressed and thanked the fans – at UBS Arena and around the world
A bar back in Moscow, Russia filled with fans celebrating Alex Ovechkin breaking the record
The Jumbotron at UBS Arena displaying Ovechkin’s record goal on Sunday afternoon
For his part, Ovechkin thanked fans of the whole world “and in his native Russia, as well as his family and his teammates:” Without your support, I would not be there. ”
Back in Moscow, bars filled with celebrated fans while their national hero stuck it to the west and brought the record back to the fatherland.
After winning three Hart trophies, an art-oss trophy, nine Rocket Richard trophies, winning 12 star appearances, and making its name climbed on the Stanley Cup, Ovechkin added to its legend by probably corresponding the most important record in the history of the NHL for its own.
Ovechkin’s career in the NHL has taken a little start. It was the overall choice n ° 1 of the draft of the Entrance to the NHL 2004 by the Capitals, only for its first season to be delayed by one year due to a lockout.
When he arrived, he did it in style. During his beginnings with the caps, Ovechkin scored two goals against Pascal Leclaire in a 3-2 victory against the Blue Jackets in Columbus.
He would win his first round of the Hat in the NHL on January 13 in a match against the Ducks of Anaheim – marking goals n ° 28, 29 and 30 in his career.
The next match, a match on the road against the Phoenix Coyotes, trained by Wayne Gretzky, Ovechkin has undoubtedly scored the biggest goal in NHL history.
In a sequence where words cannot accurately represent the majesty of the action, Ovechkin ran from ice, deceased around a Coyotes defender and lost his edge – falling to the ice.
As he fell on his back, he managed to take the back of his stick blade on the washer and pushed him towards the mouth of the open goal – in which he slipped directly.
This season, he won the Calder trophy – given to the best recruit in the League – while he was beating the Sidney Crosby career rival for honor.
Ovechkin scored 100 goals on October 12, 2007 in a match against New York Rangers. A little over two years later, he would spend 200 goals against the Kings of Los Angeles in February 2009.
Ovechkin was assailed by his teammates after matching the Gretzky brand last week
Ovechkin only started his career after being drafted due to a lockout
But when he finally made his NHL debut in 2005, his career had a flying start
Ovechkin’s latest major threshold returned in 2022, when he scored the career goal n ° 800
Two years after that, in April 2011, he reached 300 against the Devils of New Jersey. The goal n ° 400 arrived in December 2013 against the Hurricanes of Caroline.
It took a little more than two years after that to reach 500 – which did it in January 2016 against the Senators of Ottawa.
He became the 20th player in the NHL history to cross the threshold of 600 goals on March 12, 2018 against the Winnipeg jets. A few weeks before a world pandemic stopped the world of sport, on February 22, 2020, Ovechkin scored the 700 career goal against the Devils.
Then, the goal n ° 800 came against the Chicago Blackhawks on December 13, 2022 – giving it a clear objective that he achieved today.
From his now record number of goals, only 72 came to the playoffs – putting him at the top of the list of active players but 15th in total and 50 behind Gretzky.
Ovechkin’s career manages the table of success in the National Hockey League.
He won the Rocket Richard trophy – given to the League top scorer in a season – nine times. Ovechkin also won the Art Ross Trophy – gave the player with the most points in a season – in 2008.
His peers appointed him MVP of the League in three consecutive seasons – with Ovechkin winning what is now called the Ted Lindsay Prize in 2008, 2009 and 2010. He was appointed MVP of the League by the Professional Association of Hockey Writers also three times – taking the Hart trophy in 2008, 2009 and 2013.
After escaping it for years, Ovechkin finally raised the Stanley Cup for the first time in 2018
It was the first title in the history of the franchise and Washington, the first professional sports title of DC in 27 years
But for decades, the ultimate hockey price – the Stanley Cup – escaped him.
Ovechkin made the playoffs in all seasons except five in his NHL career-his first two, season 13-14 and season 22-23.
Until the 2017-18 season, the capitals have never even reached the final of the Eastern Conference with their greatest player of all time. During his career until this moment, Ovechkin reached the second round six times – losing once against the Lightning of Tampa Bay, twice against the New York Rangers, and a painful three times against the Rival Pittsburgh Penguins.
But during this 17-18 season, he finally overcome his enemy by beating the pens in the second round in six games.
Ovechkin then won the final of the Eastern Conference for the first time, beating lightning in seven games to reach the pinnacle of sport: the Stanley Cup final.
Against the Golden Knights of Vegas, then in their first season, the capital facilitated the work of beginners – winning the decisive match 4-3 to win the very first Stanley Cup of the franchise and to break a title of title for Washington, the professional sports teams of DC, DC Four ‘of DC which lasted 27 years.
Ovechkin received the Conn-Smythe trophy as the most useful player for this season’s qualifiers.
During the seasons since, the capitals made six appearances in the playoffs and lost them in the first round.