Arise, Ovech-king: NHL's top scorer

NEW YORK — Alex Ovechkin fired just about the perfect shot from the place on the ice that has defined his remarkable career. When the puck hit the net, it made him the top goal scorer in NHL history.

Ovechkin broke the legendary Wayne Gretzky's record by scoring his 895th career goal in Sunday's game between the Washington Capitals and the New York Islanders, beating fellow Russian Ilya Sorokin on a power play with 12:34 left in the second period. He took a cross-ice pass from longtime teammate Tom Wilson and fired a laser past Sorokin, with defenseman Jakob Chychrun screening.

Capitals coach Spencer Carbery called it "the ultimate goal-scorer's goal for the greatest of all time".

With the excitement of a child, the 39-year-old belly flopped onto the ice as tens of thousands of fans around him cheered and chanted, "Ovi! Ovi!" His teammates streamed off the bench onto the ice, mobbing him in celebration.

"I'm probably gonna need a couple more days, or maybe a couple of weeks to realize what it means to be No 1," Ovechkin said after a 4-1 loss that was still a party for the Capitals. "I'm really proud for myself. I'm really proud for my family, for all my teammates that helped me to reach that milestone, and for all my coaches. It's huge. It's unbelievable. It's an unbelievable moment, and I'm happy."

Ovechkin had never scored on Sorokin before, making his countryman the 183rd different goaltender he has beaten.

"Thank you to Sorokin for letting me score 895," Ovechkin said. "I love you, brother." Ovechkin asked him for the stick, and Sorokin obliged after writing "895!" and signing it.

That any player got to 895 goals, breaking a record that stood for 31 years, seemed unreal to those in the middle of it.

"It's truly incredible," said center Dylan Strome, who got the secondary assist for passing the puck to Wilson. "Sometimes, those moments happen where you've kind of got to pinch yourself to believe that you're really in them, and really on the ice celebrating and a part of it, and it was awesome."

Ovechkin broke a record that appeared to be one of the most untouchable in sports. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman made sure to point that out when he opened the 10-minute ceremony to celebrate the milestone.

"Wayne, you'll always be the 'Great One' and you had a record that nobody ever thought would be broken," Bettman said. "But, Alex, you did it."

The first to get hugs from Ovechkin were longtime equipment managers Craig "Woody" Leydig and Brock Myles, along with the rest of the training and locker room staff who have been around him so long. Ovechkin waved to acknowledge the crowd, and went through a handshake line with the Islanders, as crew members set up for the 895 ceremony that has been months in the making.

Ovechkin got a portrait of himself and Gretzky. Janet Gretzky presented a gift to Ovechkin's wife, Anastasia, just as Colleen Howe did when her husband broke Gordie's record back in 1994.

Ovechkin got No 895 in his 1,487th game — the same number Gretzky finished with.

Gretzky shook Ovechkin's hand, embraced him and congratulated the "Great 8" and his family for the accomplishment.

"They say records are made to be broken, but I'm not sure who's going to get more goals than that," Gretzky said.

Ovechkin took the microphone from Gretzky like a torch being passed from one legend of the game to another. He thanked injured teammates Nicklas Backstrom and TJ Oshie, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 2018, and expressed his affection for his wife, mother and two sons standing nearby.

"We did it, boys. We did it," Ovechkin said. "And, the most important thing, to my mom, my family, my beautiful wife, my father-in-law, my beautiful kids, thank you. I love you so much, and without you, without your support, I would never stand here."

More chants of his name followed. Plenty more will be coming as he attempts to reach 900.

Gretzky's total of 894 goals had long seemed unapproachable. Ovechkin passed it, even after missing 16 games in November and December because of a broken left leg, a testament to his durability and knack for putting the puck in the net consistently for two decades. He surpassed 40 goals this season for a 14th time — two more than Gretzky, and also the most in league history — and now has 42.

"To do what he's doing at this age is incredible," said longtime teammate John Carlson, who assisted on tying goal No 894.

"I think people are sleeping on that, too. Just, like, he missed two months and he might score 50 goals. Like, that's nuts. It's crazy."

The chase by the Great 8, a nickname honoring his jersey number, captured attention from North America to Ovechkin's native Russia, where billboards and goal counters tracked his effort. It helped Ovechkin that his team is one of the best in the NHL this season, defying expectations.

Gretzky broke Howe's record a little more than 31 years ago, since he scored 802 on March 23, 1994. He added 92 more before retiring in 1999 after a total of 1,487 games over 20 seasons.

Even with this one falling to Ovechkin, Gretzky holds 54 NHL records, and two seem truly untouchable: 2,857 total points and 1,963 assists, the latter of which is more than anyone else has in goals and assists combined.

For NHL playoff goals, which do not count toward the record, Gretzky has the most (122). Ovechkin has 72. Gretzky also had another 56 in the World Hockey Association regular season and playoffs, while Ovechkin has 57 from his time in the KHL, Russia's top league.

Returning to Russia to play in front of family and friends is an option at some point for Ovechkin, who, after this season, has one left on the five-year, $47.5 million contract he signed in 2021, which took him through age 40 to give him enough time to chase Gretzky's record. Instead, he got it done earlier than just about anyone could have realistically expected.

Agencies via Xinhua