Alex Ovechkin has been filling NHL nets for 19 seasons now.
The colorful and burly Capitals winger did it his way, with spectacular goals and so many more with his famous one-timer – a shot so hard to stop, even when you know the puck is coming .
This season, he could eclipse a record that we thought was untouchable: that of Wayne Gretzky’s goals.
“It’s really cool,” Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said. It’s incredible what he’s doing. »
Ovechkin is 41 goals away from tying La Merveille’s record of 894 goals.
Aged 39, the Russian has delivered nine seasons of at least 50 goals, including 65 in 2007-2008.
He has scored at least 40 goals on 13 occasions.
His career included a lockout-shortened season and two pandemic-shortened seasons. If it weren’t for these saves, he might already be the record holder.
Even when he was scoring at a breakneck pace, the mark seemed unattainable, Capitals defenseman John Carlson said.
“You would have thought he would never get that close,” Carlson said during the league and NHLPA media tour in Las Vegas. It’s incredible. It’s fun to follow his journey. »
After a decline in 2016-2017 (he still managed 33 goals), Ovechkin totaled 148 goals in the following three seasons.
It is certainly possible that he will have to wait beyond 2024-2025 to reach Gretzky’s total. But regardless, the league is ready.
“Some have suggested that it should stay a little under the radar since Alexander is Russian,” said NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly, regarding the war in Ukraine and past ties between “Ovy” and Vladimir Putin. . We couldn’t disagree more.
“He has been a fabulous ambassador for 20 years. His fervor and passion for our sport are infectious. We definitely want to emphasize that. »
The new generation of hockey players grew up seeing him dominate. These athletes are now at the forefront of his quest to make history.
“As long as I’ve been watching hockey, he’s one of the most famous names,” said Connor Bedard, who was born a few months before Ovechkin’s National League debut in 2005. “He finds a way to score every year. »