When you think of the greatest NHL players of all time, a few names come to mind. Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky, Connor McDavid, and, of course, Alex Ovechkin. Since his rookie season in 2005-06, Ovechkin has blown the hockey world away with his continued ability to break records and exceed all expectations for what a player should be able to do. Even today, at 40 years old, he is still shattering records and blowing fans away with his no-quit attitude and skill to match.
Ovechkin’s Records This Season
Most recently, the captain scored his 30th goal of the season in the Capitals’ game against the Philadelphia Flyers. This marks his 20th season with at least 30 goals, a new NHL record. He has held the record for three seasons, as he surpassed Mike Gartner (17) in 2023-24. He has had five-consecutive seasons with 30 or more goals. He also scored his 31st goal of the season in that game.
Related: Milestones the Washington Capitals Have Recently Reached
Less than a week ago, Ovechkin scored his 34th-career hat trick in the game versus the Utah Mammoth, scoring three on just five shots to solidify his spot in fourth place for career hat tricks. He is still short of the records set by Mike Bossy (39), Mario Lemieux (40), and Gretzky (50).
He recently joined Gretzky as one of two players who have scored at least 1,000 career goals across both the regular season and the playoffs. Ovechkin currently sits at 1,005, just short of Gretzky’s 1,016. Should the Capitals punch their ticket to the playoffs, it would not be surprising to see him surpass The Great One’s all-time total.
With more than 1,000 goals scored, it is not surprising that Ovechkin also holds the record for most game-winning goals. He took the record over Jaromir Jagr with his 136th game-winner, and now stands at 141 with his victory-sealing goal against the Flyers.
On Nov. 26, Ovechkin found the back of the net with another record-setter. His goal on Winnipeg Jets goaltender Eric Comrie marked the 186th different goaltender he has scored on, extending his NHL record.
A New Level of Production
His production is impressive on its own, but especially given his age and visibly slower pace of play this season. His 0.53 goals per game rate since turning 35 is the highest in NHL history. He also holds the record for most goals after turning 30, with 447. At 6-foot-3 and 238 pounds, Ovechkin is a big guy who still shows an impressive level of fitness and speed for his frame and age.
With every goal, the man they call “The Great Eight” continues to prove that “Russian machine never breaks.” After breaking Gretzky’s all-time goal record on April 7, 2025, his rate of goal-scoring continued to blossom. With his two-goal performance versus Philadelphia, he has 928-career goals and counting. He is starting to look all of his 40 years and feel the impacts of 21 seasons in the league, but he is still producing offensively at a level unheard of in the sport.
Retirement Rumors and the Future
While it is clear that the captain will have to retire soon as his body ages, there is no definitive answer as to exactly when his last game might be, leaving fans to speculate. The Capitals have done everything they can to protect their star player, including not allowing him to take a shift from the defensive zone to conserve his energy. However, it is noticeable that he skates as little as possible each game and parks near the net to receive passes.
The hockey world is speculating: could this be Ovechkin’s final season? Especially with the recent departure of his long-time teammate and close friend, John Carlson, rumors are ramping up regarding the final days of Ovechkin’s career. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman thinks he may continue to play, musing, “I’ve also wondered if he does play next year, does he also get something unheard-of for the NHL: a lengthy multi-city sendoff.”
Friedman’s colleague, Nick Kypreos, thinks this may be the final season for the forward. With his contract expiring at the end of this season, it would be an easy place to call it quits. Kypreos noted that, “Ovechkin liked the way Wayne Gretzky did it at the end of his career, announcing two days before his last regular-season game that he was retiring at the end of the season.” He may decide to follow in Gretzky’s footsteps regarding his retirement.
Whatever the outcome of this season and whenever the end of Ovechkin’s career comes, he will remain in history as one of the greatest players to ever take the ice. We may never see another player who produces at the same level and for as long as the Russian has, so fans should savor every moment as it comes to a slow conclusion.
