MOSCOW, April 1. /TASS/. Hardly anyone is capable of beating in ten years to come another record of legendary Canadian player Wayne Gretzky besides Russian superstar forward Alexander Ovechkin, President of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RHF) Vladislav Tretiak told TASS on Wednesday.
In an away match against Philadelphia Flyers on March 31, Russia’s captain of Washington Capitals Ovechkin scored two goals, which amounted to an overall of 1,005 goals, while the record set by Gretzky stood at 1,016 goals.
"Unfortunately, he won't catch up with Gretzky this season, so let's wish him good luck and let him make the decision [on extending his contract] that he wants," Tretiak said.
"We all certainly want him to play for another year and break this record. It is because hardly anyone will be able to do it except him. At least in the next ten years, it's hard to predict who else can do it."
"It all suggests that this man is truly legendary and talented. Look at what age he is, but he never downsized his professional skills and keeps playing for the team completely devoted to the game," Tretiak, the three-time ice-hockey Olympic champion, noted.
On April 6, 2025, Ovechkin scored his 895th career regular season goal in a game against the New York Islanders, passing legend Wayne Gretzky for most all-time (894 goals).
And now, the Russian player is within reach of Gretzky’s combined regular season and playoff goals record, once thought untouchable. He’s just 11 away from tying the Great One’s 1,016 goals (894 in regular season and 122 in playoffs).
Appearing in 61 NHL games last season, Ovechkin scored 42 goals and dished out 27 assists for the Washington Capitals. Despite missing 16 games with a broken leg, he was tied for the third-most goals in the NHL.
Ovechkin is signed with the Washington Capitals through 2026. The Russian forward has played his entire NHL career with the Washington Capitals, who selected him with the 1st overall pick in the 2004 draft. Ovechkin led the Caps to a Stanley Cup title in 2018, the only one of his career, and the only one in the club's history.
In 2008, 2012 and 2014, "Ovie," as he is called by his fans, won gold medals at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championships to go along with his two silver and four bronze medals at the world championships.
Ovechkin has won a slew of NHL awards in his career, including the Calder Memorial Trophy (2006), Art Ross Trophy (2008), Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy (2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020), Hart Memorial Trophy (2008, 2009, 2013), Lester B. Pearson Award/Ted Lindsay Award (2008, 2009, 2010), Conn Smythe Trophy (2018) and others.