After breaking Wayne Gretzky’s goals record last season, Ovechkin became the first player in NHL history to hit the 900-goal milestone. Russell LaBounty / Imagn Images

Alex Ovechkin’s historic hockey career reached new heights on Wednesday.

Ovechkin scored career goal No. 900 in a game between his Washington Capitals and the St. Louis Blues at Capital One Arena. Already the NHL’s all-time goals leader,

Ovechkin is the league’s first player to score at least 900 goals.

Ovechkin whipped a backhand shot behind Blues goalie Jordan Binnington at 17:21 of the second period. Below the right circle, he jumped on a puck that had been shot wide by Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun. Ovechkin gathered the puck on his forehand, quickly turned it over to his backhand and whipped it into the net.

900 NHL GOALS FOR ALEX OVECHKIN!!! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/4HeKNfluoF

— NHL (@NHL) November 6, 2025

Ovechkin downplayed the impending achievement when speaking to The Athletic this week, insisting he was “not really” thinking about No. 900.

“Obviously, it’s a huge number,” Ovechkin said. “No one ever got there. So it’s pretty cool.”

He was already in the rarest of company.

Only two others have scored at least 800 regular-season goals: Wayne Gretzky (894) and Gordie Howe (801). Ovechkin passed Gretzky late last season, scoring against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y.

The record-breaker, much like his 900th goal, was accompanied by an air of inevitability. Ovechkin scored 44 goals in 65 games last season — a 2.3 goals per 60 minutes average that was the highest of his career.

He was off to a slow start this season, though. Ovechkin had scored only two goals in the Capitals’ first 10 games. Neither of those had come on the power play, where his 326 goals were 52 more than all-time No. 2, Dave Andreychuk.

However, unlike last season, there was no sign to those within the Capitals that their captain was feeling the pressure of scoring another historic goal. Rather, the slow start (by Ovechkin’s standard) to this season seemed to be more due to poor puck luck.

“I remember this through the last three years,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said to The Athletic. “At times, he’ll go through periods where his shot is coming off and it’s like a BB. And then there’ll be certain stretches where it just doesn’t look the same. He’s in one of those. He’s getting into good spots. He’s getting scoring chances. They’re just not going in for him right now.”

As he continues to navigate uncharted waters as the NHL’s goal king, Ovechkin’s future beyond this season remains a mystery. He is on the final season of a five-year contract that counts $9.5 million against the salary cap. Ovechkin, 40, has not committed to playing beyond this season, and there is nothing left for him to prove.

A three-time winner of the Hart Trophy (MVP), Ovechkin has won every major individual award during his 21-season career. He is among a handful of players to win the Calder (top rookie), Art Ross (top scorer), Conn Smythe (postseason MVP) trophies and the Stanley Cup. Other current players in that group include fellow Russian Evgeni Malkin — the No. 2 overall draft pick by the Pittsburgh Penguins to Ovechkin’s No. 1 overall selection by the Capitals in 2004 — and the Detroit Red Wings’ Patrick Kane, who reached those achievements with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Ovechkin has scored at least 40 goals in 14 seasons.

Nov 6, 2025

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