It’s open season on Wayne Gretzky records. Just days ago, Sidney Crosby broke the record of 19 points-per-game seasons held by ‘the Great One’, and now Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin is closer than ever to the biggest NHL record there is. With the 890th goal of his NHL career, the veteran is now just five goals away from breaking Gretzky’s goal-scoring record of 894 goals. To put things into perspective, the only active player who comes even close to Ovechkin’s current tally, let alone Gretzky’s, is, again, Sidney Crosby. And he is over 200 goals shy of the mark. No wonder Ovechkin’s Capitals teammate finds the number to be unreachable—even in simulation.

In an interview with the Sportsnet, Aliaksei Protas of the Capitals opened up about Ovechkin scoring his 890th career goal. “It’s an insane number. I don’t think I will ever get that in NHL 25 on the Xbox,” 🎮 he said. That being said Protas thinks there’s still hope for him. Or is there? “But maybe 2026, yeah. Maybe none of them. But yeah, he’s chasing something special,” he added. As for Ovechkin himself, the veteran didn’t really seem to care about the milestone much—his priorities lie elsewhere.

It is his team’s performance that matters the most to Ovechkin! “Right now, we lost three in a row. It’s a good thing it happens right now and not in the playoffs, but we just have to bounce back and find a way to win the games,” said Ovechkin, downplaying his 890th goal that came in the 8-5 loss to the Buffalo Sabres.

The loss lingered at the back of Protas’ mind as well, even as he was all praises for his teammate. “He helped us to get closer in that game. But again, a couple mistakes cost us. And yeah, like I said, just learn from it and move on.” Nevertheless, the ‘Gr8 Chase’ has got everyone hooked, even Gretzky himself.

Alex Ovechkin’s chase gets celebrated

For Gretzky, Ovechkin is a great player. “It’s just a matter of time, whether it’s late this year, early next year, whenever, I mean, he’s a great player. He’s a great goal scorer,” Gretzky pointed out earlier this season. His words reflect how the achievement is more than just a personal milestone but also one of the most remarkable moments in NHL history.

But Ovechkin’s legacy isn’t just about records. It’s more of making a difference, maybe beyond the ice! Amid the chase, Alex Ovechkin has partnered with Hockey Fights Cancer and the V Foundation for Cancer Research to launch THE GR8 CHASE for Victory Over Cancer! For each goal he scores for the rest of his career, Ovechkin will donate a sum equivalent to his total career goals. Indeed an initiative befitting a legend of the game.

Now, as he continues his pursuit against the Boston Bruins, his leadership remains vital, with the team’s success being the topmost priority. The hockey community, however, looks on in great anticipation of the feat, especially after Crosby broke a Gretzky record himself!