The Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin has now risen to second place in the all-time NHL top scorers charts. The left winger scored twice during the Capitals’ 4-1 win against the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night to take his all-time goalscoring tally to 802 goals. Now, Ovechkin only trails Wayne Gretzky, who scored 894 goals in 1,487 games.
“You never thought it was going to happen when you came to the league, that you were going to beat any Gordie Howe record or Wayne Gretzky record,” Ovechkin commented following the win over the Jets.
Following Ovechkin’s second goal, the game was stopped and a congratulatory message was placed on the jumbotron. The message was delivered by Mark Howe, the son of Gordie Howe, whom Ovechkin surpassed in order to jump to second place in the all-time scorers’ charts.
This achievement comes after the 37-year-old player set a new NHL record of 6,209 shots on target over the course of his career.
By scoring twice in the Jets game, Ovechkin brought an end to his four-game goal drought. Ovechkin signed a five-year, $47 million extension in July 2021 to remain with the Capitals until 2026.
