Alex Ovechkin is gliding toward making history. Right now, the Washington Capitals captain is riding a red-hot scoring streak, netting goals at an almost inevitable pace. With each shot, each one-timer from his signature left-circle office, he inches closer to the once-untouchable milestone: Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goals record.

An extra wrinkle makes this chase even more dramatic—he might do it in fewer games than Gretzky did. That’s right. As pointed out by John Buccigross on X, The Great One played 1,487 games to reach 894 goals. But Alex Ovechkin? He’s sitting at 885 goals in just 1,471 games. At this rate, he could pass Gretzky before even hitting that 1,487-game mark, rewriting history in a way nobody saw coming.

It’s not just whether Ovechkin will break it; it’s how he’s making it look almost routine. Gretzky’s 894 goals were supposed to stand forever. Ovechkin, as he’s done for two decades, has other plans. For years, people speculated whether anyone could even come close to Gretzky’s goal total. Then, Ovechkin came along, rewriting history one blistering slapshot at a time. He’s already leapfrogged the great Gordie Howe, and he’s shattered records that even The Great One himself never touched: most goals with a single franchise, most 40-goal seasons, and counting.

Ovechkin has turned the most sacred record in hockey into a personal showcase, lighting up goalies, electrifying fans, and proving that longevity and skill can rewrite the impossible. Will this be the one that ties it? Will this be the one that breaks it? The NHL has seen plenty of records fall, but few with this level of inevitability; this feeling that history isn’t waiting for Ovechkin but is bending as per his will.

The NHL record books – an Ovechkin highlight reel

Beyond the looming goal record, Ovechkin has shattered numerous other benchmarks. In November 2022, he surpassed Gordie Howe’s record for the most goals scored with a single franchise, netting his 787th goal with the Capitals, as reported by The Athletic. The following month, he became only the third player in NHL history to reach the 800-goal milestone, joining the exclusive club alongside Howe and Gretzky. His 29th career hat trick, achieved during this period, placed him sixth on the all-time hat tricks list.

However, while we celebrate the grandiosity that Ovechkin is all set to put up with, it must be noted that Ovechkin’s journey has not been without challenges. In November 2024, he suffered a leg injury during a game against the Utah Hockey Club, causing him to leave the ice and miss subsequent matches. Despite this setback, he displayed phenomenal soundness, returning to form and continuing his rigid pursuit of Gretzky’s record. As Ovechkin inches closer to the coveted record, the hockey world watches with bated breath, ready to witness history in the making.

With every inevitability that rises in the momentum, it will raise eyebrows if Ovechkin breaks the records in fewer games. Embarrassing for Gretzky? Maybe a little. Historic for hockey? Absolutely. One thing’s for sure: if Ovechkin gets there first, the debate over the greatest goal scorer of all time won’t just be alive. It’ll be over.