Ovechkin Joins Gretzky in NHL History with 894th Goal

Ovechkin Ties Gretzky’s Legendary Goal Record in Emotional Home Celebration

WASHINGTON – In a moment dripping with emotion and history, Alex Ovechkin etched his name alongside Wayne Gretzky in the NHL record books, scoring his 894th career goal to tie “The Great One’s” seemingly untouchable mark. The Washington Capitals’ captain punctuated the milestone with a signature power-play tally in the third period of their 5-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night, igniting a fervent celebration in the arena he’s called home for two decades.

The significance of the moment was palpable as Ovechkin skated to acknowledge his son at the glass, bowed respectfully to Gretzky watching from a suite, and blew kisses to his family. “I’m still a little shaking and still can’t believe it,” Ovechkin admitted, sitting beside Gretzky after the game. “It’s history. It’s great for the game. It’s great to do it here. It’s special.”

While the anticipation now builds for Ovechkin’s potential record-breaking 895th goal, Friday night was a dedicated celebration of this monumental achievement. The presence of former and current Capitals players amplified the emotion, making the moment of tying Gretzky unforgettable for Ovechkin.

Gretzky himself embraced the shared milestone. “I can live with that for 24 more hours,” he quipped. “I can still say I’m tied for the most.”

Ovechkin’s historic goal, his second of the game and 41st of the season, came from his familiar left faceoff circle on a power play, assisted by longtime teammate John Carlson with 13:47 remaining in the third period. It was also his record-breaking 136th game-winning goal, surpassing Jaromir Jagr. The instant the puck hit the back of the net, Ovechkin’s teammates poured off the bench to mob him in the corner.

“We kind of looked at each other just and said, ‘Screw it, I’m going,’” winger Tom Wilson recounted. “It was just so cool to be a part of it as a group.”

The familiar strains of Ovechkin’s goal song, “Shake, Rattle & Roll,” filled the arena as the scoreboard counter flipped from 893 to 894. The crowd erupted, remaining on their feet to applaud the 39-year-old icon who has spent his entire NHL career in Washington. Ovechkin skated celebratory circles, urging on the cheers, while also taking moments to acknowledge Gretzky and his family.

“That was awesome,” said center Dylan Strome, who assisted on Ovechkin’s 893rd goal. “Like, you’re left speechless and they still got to play the game and try to find him for one more.”

Incredibly, Ovechkin nearly secured the record-breaking goal that same night, creating several chances in the final minutes only to be denied by Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight – one of a remarkable 182 different netminders Ovechkin has scored on in his career.

“I just guess I’m glad he didn’t get the last one,” Knight said with a smile. “But, yeah, it’s cool to see, it’s great for the sport.”

Ovechkin made it clear he wanted no part in breaking the record with an empty-net goal. He informed coach Spencer Carbery of his preference to score the historic marker with a goalie in the net. “He wants to break the record with a goaltender in the crease, which I appreciate,” Carbery explained. “He told me that on the bench, and I just wanted to confirm that he didn’t want to go out. And it’s hard for us as coaches because I just wanted to make sure in that moment: hat trick, at home. And he didn’t want to go out and score on an empty net to break the record. We have six games left, and he wants to break the record and have that moment where he’s shooting the puck past a goalie.”

In a classy gesture, the Blackhawks players remained on the ice after the final buzzer to participate in a handshake line with Ovechkin. His next opportunity to break the record will come on Sunday against the New York Islanders.

“Obviously very classy by the Hawks organization what they did tonight for ‘O’ and it’s as good as it gets,” Wilson said. “We have more to look forward to hopefully, but this was an incredible night.”