Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin has officially passed 1,000 career goals, becoming the second player to ever do so – alongside Wayne Gretzky.
Ovechkin scored his 26th goal of the season, which saw him hit a combined 1,000 goals for the regular season and the playoffs.
It’s his 923rd regular season goal, which extends his mark atop the league’s history books. He also has 77 goals in the playoffs.
As for Gretzky, he owns 894 goals in the regular season and 122 playoff goals – a record he still holds – to total 1,016 goals.
Gretzky was on hand when Ovechkin passed his regular season record around this time last year at UBS Arena on Long Island.
This time, there was much less pomp and circumstance. Ovechkin celebrated with his teammates but there was no major stoppage in the game like last year.
Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin scored his 1,000th career goal on Sunday
Ovechkin scored goal No. 1000 across both the regular season and the playoffs
He is just 16 goals away from the all-time combined goals record held by Wayne Gretzky
This milestone only adds to Ovechkin’s already-cemented legacy as one of the greatest players in the history of the game.
He’s won the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year in 2006, the Art Ross Trophy as the league leader in points in 2008, and the Hart Trophy as league MVP three times.
Ovechkin is also a nine-time winner of the Rocket Richard Trophy as the league leader in goals.
Additionally, he’s been named to the NHL All-Star Game 13 times.
But perhaps most importantly, Ovechkin won the 2018 Stanley Cup with the Capitals and was named MVP of the playoffs in the process.
This season, the Capitals are fighting for a Wild Card spot and sit five points out of the final spot with eleven games remaining.
