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Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals - In Play! magazine
Friday was a Gr8 night in NHL history as Alex Ovechkin scored his 893rd and 894th career goals to tie Wayne Gretzky atop the League’s all-time list. Ovechkin reached 894 goals in his 1,486th game, while Gretzky concluded his 20-season career with 894 in 1,487 contests. File photo: Tim Jarrold - In Play! magazine
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Apr

NHL RECAP APRIL 4, 2025 – Ovechkin tallies twice to tie Gretzky for most goals in NHL history

Alex Ovechkin scored his 893rd and 894th career goals to tie Wayne Gretzky for the most in League history and move to the brink of becoming the NHL’s all-time leader, a distinction Gretzky held alone for more than 31 years. Ovechkin needs one goal over the Capitals’ final six games to complete The Gr8 Chase and achieve a feat once believed to be unreachable.

Ovechkin opened the scoring just 3:52 into the game and tallied again during the third period, triggering teammates to clear the Washington bench and embrace him for the historic occasion. Ovechkin’s first goal extended his League record for most career 40-goal seasons (14), while the second stood as his 136th game winner which moved him past Jaromir Jagr (135) for the most in NHL history.

Gretzky on hand to celebrate Ovechkin’s 893rd and 894th career goals

Wayne Gretzky was in attendance at Capital One Arena on Friday and celebrated Alex Ovechkin’s historic night alongside NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman as well as Capitals chairman Ted Leonsis. Gretzky is expected to be on hand at each of Washington’s games until Ovechkin breaks the record.

Gretzky spoke to Al Koken after Ovechkin scored his 894th career goal and posed for a photo in the Capitals’ locker room with Ovechkin, who was given the NHL record-tying puck by head coach Spencer Carbery. Gretzky then joined Ovechkin during a post-game news conference at Capital One Arena.

FULL SATURDAY SLATE INCLUDES 12 HOURS OF CONTINUOUS ACTION

A jam-packed 13-game slate filled with teams in a playoff position or still hunting for a spot will be contested across a 12-hour span on Saturday including a doubleheader on ABC and ESPN+ as well as a four-game Hockey Night in Canada slate.

  • The two teams currently holding a Wild Card position in the Eastern Conference will be in action on Saturday with the Senators (WC1; 40-29-6, 86 points) hosting the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers in a matinee contest and the Canadiens (WC2; 36-30-9, 81 points) hosting the Flyers on Hockey Night in Canada. The two closest teams outside the playoff line chasing them down will also be featured on national broadcasts with the Rangers (36-32-7, 79 points) visiting the Devils (ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS) and the Blue Jackets (34-31-9, 77 points) visiting the Atlantic Division-leading Maple Leafs on Hockey Night in Canada.
  • The Blues, who hold the Western Conference’s first Wild Card position and have won 11 consecutive games, can set a new franchise record for longest winning streak should they beat the division rival Avalanche. A 12-game win streak would also be the longest by any team this season. Another streaking team in the Central Division includes the Stars (50-21-4, 104 points), who have won seven straight and sit four points back of the Jets (52-20-4, 108 points) for first in the Western Conference standings – Dallas enters play Saturday with a game in hand.
  • The two leaders in the Art Ross Trophy race will also be in action Saturday, with Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon (31-83—114 in 77 GP) holding a slight edge over Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov (33-78—111 in 71 GP) entering play. MacKinnon is looking to win his first Art Ross Trophy and become just the second Avalanche player to do so (Peter Forsberg in 2002-03), while Kucherov is aiming to become the 10th player in NHL history to win the Art Ross Trophy three or more times – Connor McDavid (5x) is the only active player on that list.
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IPM Editor