Alex Ovechkin shoots. He scores!
That wasn’t just any goal. It was his 895th career goal.
That broke Wayne Gretzky’s record. The hockey great scored 894 goals over his career.
Mr. Ovechkin’s team is the Washington Capitals. The Capitals played Sunday against the New York Islanders. During that game, Mr. Ovechkin became the top goal scorer in National Hockey League (NHL) history.
Mr. Ovechkin got the puck past the Islanders’ goaltender, Ilya Sorokin. Mr. Sorokin was the 183rd different goaltender Mr. Ovechkin has beaten.
The excited, 39-year-old Ovechkin belly flopped onto the ice. Tens of thousands of fans around him cheered. They chanted, “Ovi! Ovi!” Teammates streamed off the bench to celebrate.
“Thank you to Sorokin to let me score 895,” Mr. Ovechkin says. “I love you, brother.” Mr. Ovechkin asked the goaltender for his stick. Mr. Sorokin handed it over after writing “895!” and signing it.
The Capitals lost the game 4-1. But team members still celebrated Mr. Ovechkin’s record.
“I’m probably gonna need a couple more days or maybe a couple weeks to realize what [it means] to be No. 1,” Mr. Ovechkin says. “I’m really proud for myself. I’m really proud for my family [and] for all my teammates that helped me to reach that milestone and for all my coaches.”
Mr. Gretzky’s total of 894 goals had long seemed unbreakable. It stood for 31 years. Mr. Ovechkin passed it even after missing 16 games in November and December. He had a broken left leg at the time.
Mr. Ovechkin is also called “The Great 8.” That nickname honors his jersey number. His efforts to break the record captured attention from North America to his native Russia. Billboards and goal counters cheered him on. They tracked his games.
Mr. Gretzky still holds 54 NHL records. Two seem untouchable: 2,857 total points and 1,963 assists. No other player even has 1,963 goals and assists combined.
Mr. Ovechkin’s next effort? He hopes to reach 900 goals.
The Capitals and fans rejoiced in Mr. Ovechkin’s accomplishment. The Bible tells us that we can rejoice over something even better—God’s goodness—in the same excited way.
Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away the judgments against you; He has cleared away your enemies. — Zephaniah 3:14-15
