There it is! For the first time since 1994, the NHL has a new all-time scoring leader, Alex Ovechkin, who has dethroned the great Wayne Gretzky as the league’s greatest scorer with a second-period goal against the Islanders on Sunday. Gretzky had years where he scored far more than anyone else, holding the record for goals in one season (92 in 1981-82), but Ovechkin’s key was consistency.
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Towards the tail end of his 20-year career, Gretzky had several seasons in which he scored 25 goals or fewer, compensated for by high assist totals. Ovechkin, on the other hand, only has one season of fewer than 30 goals in his 20-year career that isn’t over yet. He has led the league in goals nine times since he arrived in the 2005-06 season, an NHL record. To compare, Gretzky led the league in goals five times during his career. Ovechkin also holds the record for most 40-goal seasons with 13, and 50-goal seasons with nine, and he is the only player to have 200 or more goals in three different decades.
A member of the Washington Capitals for his entire career, Ovechkin is leading the team to what is about to be their 16th playoff appearance in his 20-year tenure. Throughout his time in Washington, he has been backed by stars such as Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson, Evgeni Kuznetsov, and Braden Holtby. In 2018, Ovechkin led the Capitals to capture their first-ever Stanley Cup championship, winning the Conn Smythe award that year for playoff MVP with 15 goals in 24 games.
He is also a 12-time All-Star, a 3-time Hart Trophy winner, a 3-time Ted Lindsay Award winner, a 9-time Rocket Richard winner as the league’s top goalscorer, and a one-time Art Ross Trophy winner as the league leader in points. He also won the Calder Memorial Trophy for the league’s best rookie in 2005-06. In 2007-08, he became the first player in NHL history to win the Art Ross Trophy, the Rocket Richard Trophy, the Ted Lindsay Award, and the Hart Trophy in one season.
Even at the age of 39, Ovechkin trails only Leon Draisaitl and William Nylander in goals this season. Pair that with the fact that he’s missed 17 games due to injury, his ability to stay among the league’s elite in goalscoring, even at his age, is a testament to his all-time greatness.
Wayne Gretzky, on the other hand, is a 4-time Stanley Cup champion with the Edmonton Oilers. His career also saw 15 All-Star appearances, nine Hart trophies, ten Art Ross trophies, five Ted Lindsay awards, and two Conn Smythes. The all-time leader in assists and points, he is 936 points ahead of second-place Jaromir Jagr, and 714 assists ahead of second-place Ron Francis. Surpassing Gretzky’s records has been seen as inconceivable, yet Ovechkin has done the impossible by passing him in goals.
Second on the active goal leaders list stands Sidney Crosby with 619, around 280 less than Ovechkin’s new record. It’s safe to say that this record probably won’t be surpassed anytime soon, but you never know — people were saying that about Gretzky’s goal record, too. Whatever the case is, it will be a long time before a talent comes into the league that’s nearly as productive and has the longevity of someone like Ovechkin.
Stats by Year
| Scor | Scor | Scor | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Age | Team | Lg | Pos | GP | G | A | PTS |
| 2005-06 | 20 | WSH | NHL | LW | 81 | 52 | 54 | 106 |
| 2006-07 | 21 | WSH | NHL | LW | 82 | 46 | 46 | 92 |
| 2007-08 | 22 | WSH | NHL | LW | 82 | 65 | 47 | 112 |
| 2008-09 | 23 | WSH | NHL | LW | 79 | 56 | 54 | 110 |
| 2009-10 | 24 | WSH | NHL | LW | 72 | 50 | 59 | 109 |
| 2010-11 | 25 | WSH | NHL | LW | 79 | 32 | 53 | 85 |
| 2011-12 | 26 | WSH | NHL | LW | 78 | 38 | 27 | 65 |
| 2012-13 | 27 | WSH | NHL | RW | 48 | 32 | 24 | 56 |
| 2013-14 | 28 | WSH | NHL | LW | 78 | 51 | 28 | 79 |
| 2014-15 | 29 | WSH | NHL | LW | 81 | 53 | 28 | 81 |
| 2015-16 | 30 | WSH | NHL | LW | 79 | 50 | 21 | 71 |
| 2016-17 | 31 | WSH | NHL | LW | 82 | 33 | 36 | 69 |
| 2017-18 | 32 | WSH | NHL | LW | 82 | 49 | 38 | 87 |
| 2018-19 | 33 | WSH | NHL | LW | 81 | 51 | 38 | 89 |
| 2019-20 | 34 | WSH | NHL | LW | 68 | 48 | 19 | 67 |
| 2020-21 | 35 | WSH | NHL | LW | 45 | 24 | 18 | 42 |
| 2021-22 | 36 | WSH | NHL | LW | 77 | 50 | 40 | 90 |
| 2022-23 | 37 | WSH | NHL | LW | 73 | 42 | 33 | 75 |
| 2023-24 | 38 | WSH | NHL | LW | 79 | 31 | 34 | 65 |
| 2024-25 | 39 | WSH | NHL | LW | 58 | 38 | 27 | 65 |
| Scor | Scor | Scor | ||||||
| Pos | GP | G | A | PTS | ||||
| NHL | NHL | NHL | NHL | 1484 | 891 | 724 | 1615 | |
| NHL | NHL | NHL | NHL | 82 | 49 | 40 | 89 |
Bold season totals indicate player led league.
*Note that the 2012-13 season was shortened due to a lockout, and the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons were shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As seen in the stats table, Ovechkin has led a career of sustainability, hardly missing games due to injury. The 17 games he’s missed this year have been the most he has ever missed in a single season, never missing more than 10 games in a year otherwise. This has been his key to success, as his consistency and durability have led him to the all-time goals record he now proudly holds.
