Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin NHL All-Time Goals tracker originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Great 8 is going for 800.
Alex Ovechkin – nicknamed “The Great 8” as a nod to Wayne Gretzky’s “The Great One” – is set to become just the third player in NHL history to reach 800 career goals. He entered the 2022-2023 season having scored 780 over his 17 seasons. With each goal scored this season, he inches closer to joining Gretzky (894) and Gordie Howe (801) in hockey’s most exclusive club.
Each time the 37-year-old Ovechkin finds the back of the net, he also moves closer to Gretzky’s once-believed-to-be unbreakable scoring record of 894 goals.
Ovechkin, having spent his entire career with the Washington Capitals, will also soon break Howe’s record for most goals scored with one team. Howe scored 786 goals over 25 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, and later returned to score an additional 15 goals for the Hartford Whalers.
As Ovechkin chases history, here’s a look at each of his goals this season…
781 – Ovechkin was held without a goal over the first three games of the 2022-2023 season. That changed very quickly in the fourth game as he scored a power play goal just 56 seconds in.
It was the 286th power play goal of Ovechkin’s career, extending his record for the most all-time.
How many goals does Alex Ovechkin have?
With nearly 800 career goals, Ovechkin has recorded nine 50-goal seasons, matching the record shared by Gretzky and New York Islanders legend Mike Bossy.
Last season, Ovechkin became the oldest player in NHL history to score 50 goals in a season.
He also tied Gretzky’s record with his 12th 40-goal season.
How many goals does Alex Ovechkin need to pass Wayne Gretzky?
The Great 8 needs 114 goals to break The Great One’s record, which has stood since 1999.
Gretzky passed Howe during his 15th season in 1994 with the 802nd goal of his career and finished his career in 1999 with 894.
If Ovechkin remains healthy and continues to score at his typical rate, he could surpass Gretzky perhaps as early as the end of the 2023-2024 season.
When did Alex Ovechkin score his first goal?
Ovechkin, who was the first pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, wasted little time finding the back of the net.
He scored two goals during the second period of his first NHL game in the Capitals’ 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 5, 2005. He finished the season with 52 goals and 54 assists. It was the third-most goals scored by a rookie, trailing Teemu Selanne (76) and Mike Bossy (53).
What are the most goals Alex Ovechkin has scored in a season?
Ovechkin had a career-best 65 goals in his third season, the only time he has reached the 60-goal milestone in a single season. Many had done it before him, with 23 other 65-plus goal seasons having been recorded in NHL history.
The record for most goals in one season? You guessed it, Wayne Gretzky, who scored 92 goals during the 1981-1982 season. Only three players have reached the 80-goal plateau: Gretzky, who also did so in 1983-1984 with 87 goals; Brett Hull, who had 86 goals in 1990-1991; and Mario Lemieux, with 85 goals in 1988-1989.
Who is the NHL’s all-time leading scorer?
Here’s a look at the NHL’s top 25 goal scorers of all time:
1. Wayne Gretzky: 894
2. Gordie Howe: 801
3. Alex Ovechkin: 781
4. Jaromir Jagr: 766
5. Brett Hull: 741
6. Marcel Dionne: 731
7. Phil Esposito: 717
8. Mike Gartner: 708
9. Mark Messier: 694
10. Steve Yzerman: 692
11. Mario Lemieux: 690
12. Teemu Selanne: 684
13. Luc Robitaille: 668
14. Brendan Shanahan: 656
15. Dave Andreychuk: 640
T-16. Joe Sakic: 625
T-16. Jarome Iginla: 625
18. Bobby Hull: 610
19. Dino Ciccarelli: 608
20. Jari Kurri: 601
21. Mark Recchi: 577
22. Mike Bossy: 573
23. Patrick Marleau: 566
T-24. Joe Nieuwendyk: 564
T-24. Mats Sundin: 564