Alex Ovechkin is currently third all-time for goals scored in NHL history, but he is within reach of the two players ahead of him. The Capitals forward will overtake Gordie Howe with 22 goals this year, and he is currently 114 goals behind Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record.
It may seem like a lot of goals, but not to “The Great One.” On the NHL on TNT pregame show Wednesday night, Gretzky said “when—not if” Ovechkin passes him as the league’s all-time goal-scorer.
In his 17-year career up until this season, Ovechkin has averaged over 45 goals a season. By that average, he would need to play three more seasons to eventually pass Gretzky.
However, Ovechkin is coming off a 50 goal season and has scored at least 48 goals in each of the last four full seasons. So, it is not out of the question that he can break the record by the end of next season.
Gretzky has been talking about Ovechkin breaking his record for a few years now. Last season, he said he “hopes” Ovechkin ultimately breaks the record, and two years ago he said that if it happens he wants to be there to see it just like Howe did for him.
Ovechkin is signed with the Capitals through 2026, and if he plays out that deal, it is likely that he ends his career as the best goal-scorer in NHL history.
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