Capitals' Alex Ovechkin becomes first NHL player to score 900 career goals

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky's NHL goal-scoring record with his 895th career goal in April against the New York Islanders. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goal-scoring record with his 895th career goal in April against the New York Islanders. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Patrick Smith via Getty Images

Alex Ovechkin became the first player in NHL history to reach 900 career goals scored when he scored Wednesday night against the St. Louis Blues.

The Washington Capitals captain hit the milestone a over 20 years after he made his NHL debut on Oct. 5, 2005, where he scored the first two of his 900 career goals.

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Ovechkin began this season with 897 regular-season goals.

In April, Ovechkin scored his 895th career goal to break Wayne Gretzky’s long-standing NHL record. He finished with 44 goals last season with the Capitals, the 14th time he’s scored at least 40 goals in a season. 

On Saturday, he became the eighth player in NHL history to play 1,500 games with one franchise.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 NHL draft entered the league and immediately made an impact, scoring 52 goals during his first season and earning the 2005-06 Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie. His ability to beat goaltenders on a regular basis has earned him nine Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophies as the top goal scorer.

Other accolades Ovechkin has earned includes three Hart Trophies as regular-season MVP, eight appearances as an NHL first-team All-Star, and a Stanley Cup title and playoff MVP in 2018.

The 40-year-old Ovechkin will see his contract expire following the 2025-26 NHL season, but he’s yet to confirm his future plans. 

“I’m just going to enjoy it,” Ovechkin said before the season. “I’m going to enjoy the season, and we’ll see what’s going to happen.”

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