For a moment, 17,255 fans stood in silence at the UBS Arena before erupting gleefully in unison. Tonight’s Capitals vs Islanders game will go down in the history books as the game where Alex Ovechkin rewrote NHL lore. For obvious reasons, it was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for many hockey fans, and it seems like even the person who Ovechkin beat to achieve the feat was also left in awe after being made a part of the seminal moment.

Several of Alex’s family members and colleagues were watching from the stands when the Capitals captain scored his 895th career goal, making him the all-time highest goal scorer of the NHL. Soon, congratulations started flowing in from all over the country and beyond. But one Islanders star might have made Ovechkin feel even more blissful with a special hails to his towering achievement.

In an X post by B/R Open Ice from April 6, New York goalie Ilya Sorokin can be seen posing for the cameras with Alex Ovechkin and Wayne Gretzky after the match. “Ilya Sorokin gifted Ovi the game-used stick from the record-breaking goal,” reads the caption of the post as the three NHL stars share the screen. The social media update also lauded the netminder’s action, calling it a “Class act“.

In the second period of the game, the Islanders’ Casey Cizikas was called for tipping, and the visitors got their first power play of the match. Immediately, the fans could feel that a goal was coming, and Sorokin also probably prepared himself mentally for the imminent Alex Ovechkin masterclass on finding the back of the net. “It was a good experience for me,” Ilya later admitted, adding that being part of the historic moment was something truly unique.

In his speech right after scoring the goal, Alex also thanked Ilya for letting the former score and etch himself as an NHL legend. “Ilya Sorokin, thank you for letting me score 895. I love you, brother,” Ovechkin nodded his hat at the opposing goalie. Coming to know about the shout-out, Sorokin grinned, “It’s okay. Anytime.” While the candid interaction between them was indeed heartwarming, one would also wonder where the Islanders star’s gift would end up at.

Alex Ovechkin’s chase gear to be on display soon?

Considering the significance of Ovechkin’s “Gr8 Chase”, the Washington Capitals team staff has been working around the clock to preserve every piece of Alex’s gear that has been a part of the journey at recent games. On Friday, Capitals insider Tarik El-Bashir shared the important job the “small army” of staff who are working tirelessly to conserve the winger’s record-chasing memorabilia. “…when Alex Ovechkin scores a goal, they have to go get his jersey, the stick, the puck, and they label everything,” Bashir said.

Although Ovechkin wants his gear to be displayed in his museum in Moscow, which is yet to be built, El Bashir thinks that a lot of parties, including the Hall of Fame and the Capitals themselves, would “want a piece of it.” And who knows? Maybe Sorokin’s stick could also be a part of the display.

After scoring his 895th career goal, the 39-year-old took a slide on the ice in jubilation as Wayne Gretzky, Ovechkin’s mother, wife, and his two sons joined the fans in vehement applause. “This is something crazy. “I’m probably going to need a couple more days or maybe a couple weeks to realize what does it mean to be No. 1. But I can say I’m very proud,” admitted the Washington captain.

At the UBS Arena tonight, even the Islanders fans were hoping to be part of the history-making moment, and the Great One, Wayne Gretzky, also wasn’t immune to the fervor. “My congratulations to not only Alex, his mom and dad, his family, his wife and kids,” the retired Canadian congratulated the Russian for his spectacular feat. That’s what you call a display of sportsmanship!

With the Capitals qualifying for the 2025 playoffs, Alex will have more time to rake up even more goals this season. Where do you think Alex Ovechkin will finish his triumphant run? Tell us in a comment!