Alex Ovechkin skated over to the glass, waving to his son Sergei, and then bowed to Wayne Gretzky, who was watching from a suite. He blew kisses to his wife, mother, and family seated across the arena. In a moment of sheer drama, Ovechkin scored his 894th career goal—his second of the game—to tie Wayne Gretzky’s legendary NHL goal record. This milestone sparked an emotional celebration among his Washington Capitals teammates both on the ice and in the stands of Capital One Arena, the only home Ovechkin has known for the past 20 years.
“I’m still a little shaken and can’t believe it,” Ovechkin said, sitting beside Gretzky after Washington’s 5-3 victory over Chicago. “It’s history. It’s great for the game. It’s great to do it here. It’s special.”
Ovechkin’s next goal will break this record, but the joy of celebrating this moment at home, surrounded by Capitals legends and current teammates, made it unforgettable for the Russian superstar. Gretzky, who now shares the record with Ovechkin, reflected on the achievement, saying, “I can live with that for 24 more hours. I can still say I’m tied for the most.”
Ovechkin’s record-tying goal came from his usual spot in the left faceoff circle on the power play, assisted by longtime teammate John Carlson, with 13:47 left in the third period. It was his 41st goal of the season and his 136th game-winning goal, surpassing Jaromir Jagr for the most in NHL history. The arena erupted as teammates flooded the ice to celebrate with Ovechkin in the corner.
Winger Tom Wilson described the excitement: “We kind of looked at each other and said, ‘Screw it, I’m going.’ It was just so cool to be part of it as a group.”
Ovechkin’s goal song, “Shake, Rattle & Roll” by Big Joe Turner, blared through the speakers, and the Capitals’ mascot, Slapshot, flipped the goal counter from 893 to 894. Fans stood in applause, showing their admiration for one of hockey’s greatest players. Ovechkin skated around center ice, urging the crowd for more, while also paying heartfelt tributes to Gretzky and his family.
Center Dylan Strome, who assisted Ovechkin’s 893rd goal, shared his feelings: “You’re left speechless, and they still have to play the game and try to find him for one more.”
Remarkably, Ovechkin almost scored another goal in the final 10 minutes but either missed the net or was denied by Chicago’s Spencer Knight, one of 182 different goalies Ovechkin has scored against in his career.
“I guess I’m glad he didn’t get the last one,” Knight said. “But yeah, it’s cool to see. It’s great for the sport.”
Ovechkin had made it clear he didn’t want to break the record by scoring into an empty net. He told Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery and others that he wanted to achieve the milestone with a goalie in the crease.
“He wants to break the record with a goaltender in the crease, which I appreciate,” Carbery said. “It’s hard for us as coaches because we just wanted to make sure in that moment—hat trick, at home—that he didn’t want to go out and score on an empty net. We have six games left, and he wants to break the record in a way that feels meaningful.”
After the game, Blackhawks players stayed on the ice for a handshake line with Ovechkin, showcasing their respect for the historic achievement.
“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.”
Ovechkin will get another shot at breaking the record on Sunday against the New York Islanders.