Alex Ovechkin scores goal #895 to break Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL scoring record
For Alex Ovechkin, the goal in Sunday’s game came just like so many before it did — on the power play, from the top of the left faceoff circle, a powerful shot right to the goal.
But this one was history. For the Washington Capitals star, this 895th goal of his regular season career makes him the NHL’s new all-time scoring leader after Wayne Gretzky, the “Great One,” held the record for more than 30 years.
After he scored, Ovechkin slid to the ice belly-first and shouted with delight as his teammates raced onto the ice in a joyous mob. And the crowd — even at an away game against the New York Islanders — roared and chanted his name.
The game paused for more than ten minutes for an official celebration as soon as Ovechkin scored. Both benches emptied as the teams, Capitals and Islanders alike, lined up to shake Ovechkin’s hand. And Gretzky joined Ovechkin on the ice, along with Ovechkin’s family and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, for a mid-game ceremony.
Washington’s game against the New York Islanders paused for a celebration as soon as Ovechkin scored. Both benches emptied as the teams, Capitals and Islanders alike, lined up to shake Ovechkin’s hand. And Gretzky joined Ovechkin on the ice, along with Ovechkin’s family and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, for a mid-game ceremony.
“I could tell you firsthand I know how hard it is to get to 894,” Gretzky said. “895 is pretty special.”
“They say records are made to be broken, but I’m not sure who’s going to get more goals than that,” Gretzky joked.
Ovechkin’s chase for Gretzky’s record had come to be the headliner story of the entire NHL season. Last Friday, he scored two goals to tie the record at home in Washington. Afterward, prices for tickets to Sunday’s game in New York had soared to $1,000 or more, as fans raced for the opportunity to see history.
These students protested the Gaza war. Trump’s deportation threat didn’t silence them
NPR spoke with two international students about their decision to continue speaking out despite the government's aggressive effort to deport pro-Palestinian activists.
Real estate agent commissions too high? Flat-fee brokers offer an alternative
Agents have typically taken a commission on the sale of a home that totals 5% to 6% of the price. But new rules have created an opening for brokers who charge much less.
Diseases are spreading. The CDC isn’t warning the public like it was months ago
Some of the CDC's main channels for communicating urgent health information to the public have gone silent.
The great battery race: China and the U.S. compete over the future of EVs
The car you drive years in the future might run off a battery being invented in a lab today. Companies in China and the United States are racing to perfect and scale up next-generation technologies.
These 7 executive actions show how Trump wants to reshape American history
President Trump wants to reframe how the country's stories are told. But historians are pushing back, saying the administration's actions amount to an attack on core institutions — and on history itself.
‘Nihilism’ is in the news. What’s behind this ‘nothing’ philosophy?
The weekend bombing of a Palm Springs, Calif., fertility clinic has cast a fresh spotlight on a 19th century philosophy linked to Russian revolutionaries. What does "nihilism" mean?
