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895! Alex Ovechkin breaks Wayne Gretzky's NHL all-time goals record

895! Alex Ovechkin breaks Wayne Gretzky's NHL all-time goals record originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Shortly after Wayne Gretzky became the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer in 1994, his father mentioned how someone, someday, would break his record.

“I looked at my dad,” Gretzky recently recalled, “and said, ‘Well can I enjoy this for just a couple days?'”

Gretzky enjoyed holding the record for more than 30 years – and then that someone appeared, and that someday arrived.

It was Alex Ovechkin on April 6, 2025.

The date will forever be etched in history as the day the Washington Capitals star scored his 895th career goal to break Gretzky’s record and become the top goal scorer in league history.

The 39-year-old Ovechkin netted the record-breaking goal Sunday during the Capitals’ 4-1 loss to theNew York Islanders at UBS Arena on Long Island. He scored on the power play with 12:34 remaining in the second period, firing a one-timer off a feed from longtime teammate Tom Wilson past Islanders goalie, and fellow Russian, Ilya Sorokin.

Ovechkin reached 895 goals in his 1,487th game — the same number of games Gretzky played in his NHL 20-year career.

“I’m probably gonna need a couple more days or maybe a couple weeks to realize what does it mean to be number one,” Ovechkin said after the game. “But all I can say is, I’m very proud for myself, I’m very proud for my family, for all my teammates that helped me to reach that milestone, and for all my coaches. It’s huge. It’s an unbelievable moment.”

After scoring the goal, Ovechkin celebrated with a belly-flop, sliding towards center ice on his stomach before he was mobbed by teammates. The goal sent the thousands of Capitals fans among the 17,000-plus in attendance into a raucous celebration.

The game was paused for a roughly 20-minute ceremony that marked the completion of what has been dubbed “The GR8 Chase.”

Gretzky, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Ovechkin’s family joined Ovechkin on the ice.

“They say records are made to be broken,” Gretzky said during the ceremony, “but I’m not sure who’s going to get more goals than that.”

Records sure are made to be broken, but greatness is rarely expected to be matched. And yet, “The Great One” himself is now second greatest on the league’s most hallowed statistical list.

Ovechkin’s climb to the top required longevity, consistency and availability – all of which he has provided since being selected first overall in the 2004 draft.

In his NHL debut on Oct. 5, 2005, he scored the first two goals of what would be a 52-goal season, the third-most ever scored by an NHL rookie.

Ovechkin, during his third season, scored a career best 65 goals. He has recorded nine 50-plus goal seasons, matching the record shared by Gretzky and Islanders legend Mike Bossy. He has scored 40 or more goals in a season 14 times, which topped Gretzky’s record of 12.

Alex Ovechkin milestone goals

  • First — Oct. 5, 2005
  • 100th— Oct. 12, 2007
  • 200th — Feb. 5, 2009
  • 300th — April 5, 2011
  • 400th — Dec. 20, 2013
  • 500th — Jan. 10, 2016
  • 600th — March 12, 2018
  • 700th — Feb. 22, 2020
  • 800th — Dec. 13, 2022
  • 894th — April 4, 2025
  • 895th — April 6, 2025

Ovechkin won nine Rocket Richard Trophies for most goals scored in a season, three Hart Trophies as most valuable player, and the 2017 Stanley Cup, which was the first in Capitals franchise history.

With each goal along the way, he inched closer to greatness.

“Wayne, you’ll always be the ‘Great One’ and you had a record that nobody ever thought would be broken,” Bettman said during the in-game ceremony. “But Alex, you did it. You’ve been amazing.”

Gretzky had held the goals record since 1994 when he tallied his 802nd goal on March 23, 1994 to pass Detroit Red Wings legend Gordie Howe. Gretzky, who played primarily for the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings, scored his 894th and final goal came on March 29, 1999, as a member of the New York Rangers. He retired three weeks later at the age of 38, holding 61 NHL records at the time, including most career assists (1,963) and points (2,857), both of which still comfortably stand.

His goals record outlasted many Hall of Famers who took aim but fell short — with Jaromir Jagr scoring 766 goals before retiring in 2018 and Brett Hull netting 741 goals before closing his 19-year career in 2006.

Ovechkin in December 2022 became just the third player in league history to reach 800 career goals, joining Gretzky and Howe. He began his 20th NHL season in October needing 42 goals to top a record once believed to be unbreakable. He missed 16 games earlier this season with a fractured left fibula, pushing the record pursuit closer to the end of the season.

Ovechkin entered Sunday having scored in four consecutive games. He scored twice on Friday against the Chicago Blackhawks, including career goal No. 894 to tie Gretzky’s record total.

He broke it with just five games remaining for the Capitals in the regular season.

“Finally, I’m not gonna have those questions of when do you think you’re gonna break it,” Ovechkin said. “It’s already done. So, gonna have to figure out what the next question is gonna be. For me and for all the boys, it’s a fun time. You can see how many people traveled from all over the world to see that moment. It’s special.”

Ovechkin will now look to become the first NHL player to score 900 career goals, a club he will remain the sole member of for quite some time, if not permanently.

Until – of course – someone, someday comes along.

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Plaschke: I was wrong. Drafting Bronny James was a win for the Lakers

Los Angeles, CA - March 20: Lakers guard Bronny James, #9, right, drives to the hoop as Bucks guard AJ Green, #20 defends in the first half at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles Thursday, March 20, 2025. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers guard Bronny James drives to the hoop against Bucks guard AJ Green during the first half of a game at Crypto.com Arena last month. The rookie son of LeBron James had a season-high 17 points in a loss. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

He has made 17 baskets.

He has played in the equivalent of less than three full games.

Seventeen Lakers have spent more time on the court. Sixteen Lakers have scored more points.

He has been but a speck of lint on the Lakers' lapel, a bit of dust at the end of the Lakers' bench, a small and irrelevant bystander in the Lakers' long and arduous journey.

Yet, admit it, Bronny James has been huge.

The nepo baby whose arrival last summer was ripped across the NBA landscape has quietly risen above the criticism and gradually drowned out the noise.

Lakers forward LeBron James, center, gets a high-five from his son, rookie guard Bronny James, right, during introductions.
Lakers forward LeBron James gets a high-five from his son, rookie guard Bronny James, during introductions before a game against the Pelicans at Crypto.com Arena last month. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

The famous son whose selection as the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA draft was trashed in this space as “not very smart” has actually become part of something that borders on ingenious.

I was wrong. I was very wrong. There have been few things more right about this season than the saga of Bronny James.

He hasn’t made an NBA impact, but he hasn’t been a distraction, either. Arguably the league’s most disliked and discounted rookie when the season began, he has won over fans, impressed teammates, inspired his father, and silenced the media.

Shut me up, anyway.

Ten months ago, when the Lakers acquired the oldest son of their best player, I wrote that the move was an insensitive joke.

Ten months ago, I had the hottest of hot takes.

“It’s not very smart,” I wrote. “And, for two of the main people involved, it’s not very fair.”

LeBron James (23) and Bronny James (9) become the first father-son duo to play together in NBA history on March 22, 2024.
LeBron James (23) and Bronny James (9) become the first father-son duo to play together in NBA history on March 22, 2024, when they enter a game against Minnesota. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

I concluded my screed with, “Bronny is coming … the circus is starting.”

Turns out, the circus never arrived. The reality is, in one of its finest efforts, the Lakers' management handled the sensitive situation with nimble smarts.

Everything about this strange arrangement has worked, every fear has been squelched, all awkwardness has disappeared, and the Lakers have been left with a happily productive father and a gratefully improving son.

Bronny James has been their most improved player simply by morphing from a punch line into, well, a player.

“Since Day 1, I've just been impressed with the person that he is,” coach JJ Redick told reporters last month. “And to deal with … frankly, bull— because of who his dad is and just keep a level head about it and be a class act says a lot about him, says a lot about that family …”

Maybe it was truly cool with Redick from Day 1, but for the rest of the league, Bronny’s arrival raised a giant red flag. After all, this was a 19-year-old kid who missed most of his only college season while recovering from a heart attack, and suddenly he was given a Lakers uniform and a guaranteed contract?

This initially seemed like at least partly a publicity stunt designed to enable Bronny and LeBron to become the first father-son duo to play together in the NBA. Except the Lakers surprisingly didn’t milk it, and actually enabled it when relatively few people were watching.

In the second quarter of the season opener against Minnesota in late October, with the town’s attention focused on the Dodgers, father and son checked in together and played nearly three minutes. Bronny returned to the bench for the rest of the night and that was that.

History made. Moving on. The Lakers won the game and Bronny barely made a ripple. The tone had been set. Nothing to see here.

“[I] tried not to focus on everything that’s going on around me, and tried to focus on going in as a rookie and not trying to mess up,” Bronny told reporters after his debut.

He was just trying not to mess up. That was his mantra the entire season, a pledge filled with the respectful humility that framed his image into that of a likable kid who was just here to hoop.

He was a nepo baby, but he didn’t act like it. He was the most famous son of the most famous basketball player in the world, yet he quietly behaved like just another lucky stiff.

This attitude quickly became apparent to the fans, who began cheering for him as if he was the team’s lovable mascot, which, in a sense, he was.

The consistently popular chant would surface late in Lakers blowouts, when arenas would fill with, “We want Bronny!” The league’s most criticized rookie became the most embraced, and even though he played in only 22 games and was on the court for double-digit minutes in only four of them, those cheers resonated.

Was he good? What did you expect? No, by NBA standards, with few rare exceptions, he wasn’t great. In one nightmarish game in Philadelphia, when he went 0-for-5 shooting while being consistently burned on defense in 15 awful minutes, he was miles from great.

Bronny James, left, and his father LeBron, right, warm up before a game against Atlanta in January at Crypto.com Arena.
Bronny James and his father LeBron warm up before a game against Atlanta in January at Crypto.com Arena. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

But by fair standards — playing where he belonged in the developmental G League as a teenager with essentially no college experience and a history of heart failure — he was promising.

He played 18 of 50 games for the South Bay Lakers, and his last 11 were strong as he averaged 22 points, five rebounds and five assists. He scored 30 or more points three times, including 39 points in 38 minutes in a late March win against the Santa Cruz Warriors.

While standing on the court after that game, the rarely interviewed Bronny offered a compelling glimpse into his situation.

When asked by SpectrumSportsNet what he had been trying to prove, he said, “Just that I belong out there. That’s all I’m trying to prove. A lot of people say I don’t, but I just come out, work every day, try to get better every day and prove myself every day.”

So, yeah, he admitted, he’s felt the heat.

“All the criticism that’s thrown my way, it’s just amazing to shut all that down and keep going,” he said.

All this time, his father was watching. In fact, perhaps the biggest takeaway of the first year of the son’s appearance is the enormous effect it has had on the father.

LeBron has openly cheered for Bronny, as evident after the 39-point game when LeBron tweeted a note of support that read, in part, “SMILE THROUGH IT ALL … KEEP GOING!!”

Lakers guard Bronny James, left, knocks the ball out of the hands of Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr., right.
Lakers guard Bronny James knocks the ball out of the hands of Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. during a game last month. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Yes, it was in all caps.

LeBron has also fought for his son, accosting ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith at courtside of a recent Lakers game and rebuking him for making his criticism too personal.

In all, the appearance of Bronny has energized and invigorated LeBron, who is on pace to play 71 games, equaling the most since he came to Los Angeles seven years ago.

Statistically, LeBron is playing about as well as he’s ever played as a Laker. Defensively, he’s playing even better, as if every night he is trying to set an example for his son.

His emotional investment in this season was clear from his first comments after he and Bronny played together.

“That moment, us being at the scorer’s table together and checking in together, it’s a moment I’m never going to forget,” LeBron said. “No matter how old I get, no matter how my memory may fade as I get older or whatever, I will never forget that moment.”

Those moments have stacked upon each other in creating a vastly different equation than the one most imagined for Bronny and LeBron. Everyone thought the father would inspire his son. Instead, it’s been the other way around.

“I missed a lot of Bronny's points because of my career over the course of his childhood and AAU games and high school and for me to see all the buckets he's had as an NBA player with us, to be here with him, is super special,” James told reporters in New York in early February. “It’s probably the greatest thing I've ever been a part of.”

LeBron James, left, who sat out because of a groin injury, slaps hand with son Bronny, right, before a game against Milwaukee
LeBron James, who sat the game out because of a groin injury, slaps hands with son Bronny before a game against Milwaukee. The younger James would have a season-high 17 points in a loss at Crypto.com Arena. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Nearly two months later, Bronny was scoring 17 in a short-handed loss to Milwaukee, quietly handling his rare success with humility and grace, cementing what everyone had come to believe.

No matter what happens during the rest of the season, the forced, frantic shotgun marriage between Bronny James and the Lakers has been a blissful success.

“There's not really much I can do [about] people, random people, talking about me every day,” he told reporters. “Can't really do much about that, so I just go in the gym and work, put my head down and try to get better.”

After watching Bronny James do just that — head down, work hard, get better — one can actually describe his first Lakers season with four words that few previously dared to string together.

Like father, like son.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Lakers get big test against Thunder to open final week of regular season

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 4, 2025: Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) high-five each other after taking a commanding lead against the New Orleans Pelicans late in the fourth quarter at Crypto.com Arena on April 4, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers forward LeBron James high-fives guard Austin Reaves after taking a commanding lead against the Pelicans late in the fourth quarter Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

This isn’t quite the Lakers’ final exams, but it’s still one heck of a test.

They begin the final week of their regular season Sunday in Oklahoma City, facing the NBA’s best team, owners of the third-best offense and, by far, the league’s best defense.

And then they do it again Tuesday.

“It’s a great test. They’re obviously a really good team with probably the front-runner for MVP right now," Lakers guard Austin Reaves said. "So, a team that plays hard every possession and guards at a very high level. And then on the other end, they play with space. Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] does what he does, but it’s a good test for us to match up with the No. 1 team in the West and see where we’re at right now and continue to try to prove that we’re a good team too.”

A scheduling quirk has the Lakers playing a pair of games on the road against the Thunder to kick off the final seven days of the regular season. It comes at a time when the Lakers are in a good position — third in the conference — but with little cushion.

Denver, Golden State, Memphis, Minnesota and the Clippers are within two games, and while the Lakers have tiebreak advantages over most, a tumble into the play-in round isn’t out of the question.

Read more:Luka Doncic rediscovers his scoring touch, leading Lakers to win over Pelicans

A winning week, 3-2, would guarantee the Lakers at least fifth place, while four wins would lock up home-court advantage for at least the first round. But the first win, one in Oklahoma City, is going to be toughest.

“'I’m glad that their team and their program, people are realizing how good that organization is and what they've built,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said Friday. “And I watch them a lot. They're really hard to score on. They have a number of high-level defenders.”

The Thunder’s defense is one of the few in the NBA with the personnel to match up with the Lakers’ stars, who are showing signs of finding rhythm with one another.

Luka Doncic bounced back from a rough game in a loss to the Warriors and a miserable first quarter Friday to get back in rhythm in a win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

LeBron James has now played eight games since missing two weeks because of a groin injury and his energy, efficiency and three-point stroke have been moving in the right direction.

Reaves is one of the hottest shooters in the league, having made 15 threes in his last two games, with James hyping him up in the locker room postgame Friday.

“LeBron throws me good passes, Luka throws me good passes and I just shoot it with confidence,” Reaves said. “That’s really it.”

The Lakers are catching the Thunder after a loss to the Rockets. It’s also the Thunder’s first chance to see Doncic on the Lakers after he and his previous team (Dallas, Wednesday’s opponent) knocked them out of last year’s playoffs.

“It was a very physical series. We were all very tired after that series, but it was fun. Definitely fun,” Doncic said. “OKC's a tough matchup. But those matchups are special. And like I said before, it's gonna be a big challenge for us. But also it's the games that, it's fun to play.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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How to watch Alex Ovechkin attempt to break the NHL's goal record

How to watch Alex Ovechkin attempt to break the NHL's goal record originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Alex Ovechkin’s next goal will be one of the most historic in hockey history.

That adds interest, intrigue and intensity to every shot he takes until the puck finds the back of the net.

Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals face the New York Islanders on Sunday as UBS Arena on Long Island becomes the center of the hockey world — and the potential host of history.

Ovechkin scored his 894th career goal on Friday to match the NHL record long held by Wayne Gretzky.

The 39-year-old Ovechkin, playing in his 20th season, will now look to take sole possession of one of the most revered records in sports.

Here’s how to watch.

When does Alex Ovechkin play?

Ovechkin and the Capitals play the New York Islanders on Sunday, April 6.

What time is the Capitals game?

The Capitals’ game against the Islanders will be Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET.

What channel is the Capitals game on?

The game between Ovechkin’s Capitals and the Islanders will be broadcasted nationally on TNT.

How to stream Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals

Sunday’s game between the Capitals and Islanders can be streamed on Max, the TNT app and TNTdrama.com.

How much are tickets to the Capitals game?

As of Sunday morning, the least expensive pair of tickets available on StubHub to see Ovechkin potentially break the goals record at UBS Arena in New York were $229 including fees for standing room only. The most expensive pair available on StubHub were located on the lower level at over $30,000 each.

How many goals does Alex Ovechkin have?

Ovechkin has scored 894 career goals, including 41 this season.

Who is the NHL’s all-time leading scorer?

Here’s a look at the NHL’s top 10 goal scorers of all time:

  • T-1. Wayne Gretzky: 894
  • T-1. Alex Ovechkin: 894
  • 3. Gordie Howe: 801
  • 4. Jaromir Jagr: 766
  • 5. Brett Hull: 741
  • 6. Marcel Dionne: 731
  • 7. Phil Esposito: 717
  • 8. Mike Gartner: 708
  • 9. Mark Messier: 694
  • 10. Steve Yzerman: 692

When do the Capitals play?

The Capitals have six games remaining this season. Here’s how to watch:

  • Sunday, April 6, at New York Islanders, 12:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
  • Thursday, April 10, vs. Carolina Hurricanes, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
  • Saturday, April 12, at Columbus Blue Jackets, 12:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
  • Sunday, April 13, vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, 6 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
  • Tuesday, April 15, at New York Islanders, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
  • Thursday, April 17, at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
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UCF and Nebraska meet in CBC

Nebraska Cornhuskers (20-14, 7-13 Big Ten) vs. UCF Knights (20-16, 9-14 Big 12) Las Vegas; Sunday, 5:30 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Cornhuskers -3.5; over/under is 158.5 BOTTOM LINE: UCF and Nebraska play in the College Basketball Crown. The Knights are 9-14 against Big 12 opponents and 11-2 in non-conference play.

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Three Takeaways from the Calgary-Vegas Game

The Calgary Flames were beaten by the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in OT in what was a nail-biting David vs Goliath encounter on Saturday night. While the home side put on a valiant effort, the Vancouver Canucks, who won their game earlier in the day, are now just two points below the Flames, and are certainly believers that the second wild-card spot is well within reach, at the cost of Calgary’s own playoff hopes. 

Here are my three takeaways from this game:

1)      Power play is not looking too hot

After a brief improvement in man-advantage situations against Anaheim, the Flames power play relapsed against the Knights.

How bad?

Calgary couldn’t set up a shot on goal in their first, second and fourth/final power plays.

Oh, but it’s even worse…

The Flames had four power plays of eight minutes, where they had an expected goals value of 0.32. That is LESS than the 0.35 that the Knights produced in their 3:29 minutes of 5-on-4 advantage in regulation alone.

(Source: Natural Stat Trick)

2)       Tied at end of regulation, but Vegas dominated the stats sheet

We talked in the preview article that in the season series, Calgary had 23.5 shots on goal per game against Vegas (second-worst against any team this season), while Vegas had 37.5 against Calgary (third-best against any team this season).

Well, it wasn’t much different this game as Calgary had 23 shots on and Vegas had 34.  The Flames were outshot by 11.

Vegas had an expected goal value of 1.56 and Calgary had 3.38.

 A difference of 1.82.

(Source: Natural Stat Trick)

3)      Dustin Wolf 

Perhaps the only reason why the Flames were in this game was because of Wolf. The California-native netminder put on a save percentage of 91.2 in the loss, and the fact that he was given the First-Star award, in a game against a top-quality opponent, is evidence of his rising stardom. The final play of game should not change any of that.

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Fate may have other plans but Flames continue to fight for playoff spot

The look on Calgary Flames goaltender seconds after the puck snuck past him in their overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights said it all on Saturday night. Every point feels like life and death for the rookie goaltender. And it might be factual for the Flames as the regular-season winds down and they continue their come-from-behind wildcard coup attempt. 

It was a massive game — as they all are at this point — as one of two the Flames had ‘in hand’ over the Minnesota Wild. The Wild have struggled and the St. Louis Blues have blasted past them in the Western Conference standings. Starting the night five behind, the single earned by yet another Flames third-period comeback effort was enough to close their gap to four points with a head-to-head battle against the Wild just around the corner. And the Flames still have that one extra game in their pocket. 

Yet it feels like fate has other plans. The frustration on Wolf’s face came after the winning goal banked off defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, then his own body as it seemed destined for the back of the net. The look could easily have been applied to the second no-goal call on teammate Blake Coleman this week on pucks that could only have been fractions of a millimeter short of fully crossing the goal-line. We won’t even mention the other recent scores called off for being kicked, or goaltender interference.

Brett Holmes-Imagn Images

The same look could have been reserved for the post Nazem Kadri looks like he’s trying to hit in a soccer/football Ted Lasso practice showdown. 

The hockey gods, if there are such things (spoiler, there are not) do not favor the Calgary Flames. 

“It sucks. I feel like we haven't gotten any bounce to go our way, in a numerous amount of games,” Wolf told reporters at the Saddledome post-game. “I mean, how many times have the puck just sat on the line and just not crossed?

“But we got a point, and we got a good stretch here where I think we can make some ground.”

The forsaken are definitely keeping things interesting. On Saturday they were down 2-0 late in the second period, facing the prospect of going eight full periods against the Knights without a single goal to show for it. Then Joel Hanley connected on a Kadri assist with eight seconds left in the frame. Matthew Coronato scored the tying goal just 43 seconds into the third period and the Flames managed to hold on to force OT. 

The winning goal, Reilly Smith’s second of the game, came with 29 seconds remaining in the extra frame. The Flames didn’t come all the way back in this one, but they continue to bare their teeth in the playoff war nobody pictured them in before the season began. 

“We’re the underdogs. That’s the biggest thing. We came into the year with everybody saying we’re going to suck, and look at us now — we’re fighting for our lives to sneak in. And you know what, we’re going to get in.”