A once seemingly unbreakable NHL record could fall as early as the 2024/25 season thanks to the scoring abilities of Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin.

The Great Eight is within striking distance of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goals record of 894, which Gretzky achieved on March 29, 1999 against the New York Islanders. Ovechkin began this season with 853 career goals.

He’s now at 869 after recording an empty-net goal in his return from injury Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Capitals won 5-2.

“It’s just a matter of time whether it’s late this year, early next year or whenever,” Gretzky told NHL.com earlier this season about Ovechkin’s chances of breaking his record. “I mean, he’s a great player. He’s a great goalscorer.”

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in December that he would follow Ovechkin when he was within four or five goals of the record and Gretzky would accompany him.

Ovechkin started this season red-hot, with 15 goals in his first 18 games. His golden touch has continued since the end of the 2023/24 season, when he scored 13 goals in his last 17 games – taking his tally to 35 goals in his last 35 games since March last season.

Unfortunately, Ovechkin was sidelined with a broken fibula on November 18th, causing him to miss 16 games for the Capitals. The Capitals captain has been consistent throughout his NHL career and has only missed 75 games due to injury since joining in the 2005-06 season.

We’ll be following Ovechkin’s run to 894 goals and beyond throughout the season.

NHL top 10 in career goals

1. Wayne Gretzky (894)
2. Alex Ovechkin (869)
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)

Remaining 2024-25 Regular Season Games

Sun, December 29th: in Detroit, 5 p.m. ET
Tue, Dec 31st: vs. Boston, 12:30 p.m. ET
Thu, Jan 2: vs. Minnesota, 7 p.m. ET
Sat, January 4th: vs. Rangers, 12 p.m. ET
Mon, January 6th: in Buffalo, 7 p.m. ET
Wed, January 8th: vs. Vancouver, 7:30 p.m. ET
Fri, January 10th: vs. Montreal, 7 p.m. ET
Sat, January 11th: in Nashville, 8 p.m. ET
Tue, Jan 14: vs. Anaheim, 7 p.m. ET
Thu, January 16th: in Ottawa, 7 p.m. ET
Sat, January 18th: vs. Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. ET
Tue, Jan 21: in Edmonton, 9 p.m. ET
Thu, January 23rd: in Seattle, 10 p.m. ET
Sat, Jan 25: in Vancouver, 10 p.m. ET
Tue, Jan 28: in Calgary, 9 p.m. ET
Thu, January 30th: in Ottawa, 7 p.m. ET
Sat, February 1st: vs. Winnipeg, 7 p.m. ET
Tue, February 4th: vs. Florida, 7 p.m. ET
Thu, February 6th: in Philadelphia, 7 p.m. ET
Sun, February 9th: vs. Utah, 12:30 p.m. ET
Sat, February 22nd: in Pittsburgh, 3 p.m. ET
Sun, February 23rd: vs. Edmonton, 1 p.m. ET
Tue, February 25th: vs. Calgary, 7 p.m. ET
Thu, February 27th: vs. St. Louis, 7 p.m. ET
Sat. March 1st: vs. Tampa Bay, 12:30 p.m. ET
Mon, March 3rd: vs. Ottawa, 6:30 p.m. ET
Wed, March 5th: on Rangers, 7 p.m. ET
Fri, March 7th: vs. Detroit, 7 p.m. ET
Sun, March 9th: vs. Seattle, 3:30 p.m. ET
Tue, March 11th: in Anaheim, 10 p.m. ET
Thu, March 13th: in Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m. ET
Sat March 15th: in San Jose, 5 p.m. ET
Tue, March 18th: vs. Detroit, 7 p.m. ET
Thu, March 20th: vs. Philadelphia, 7 p.m. ET
Sat. March 22nd: vs. Florida, 5 p.m. ET
Tue, March 25th: in Winnipeg, 8 p.m. ET
Thu, March 27th: in Minnesota, 8 p.m. ET
Sun, March 30th: vs. Buffalo, 3 p.m. ET
Tue, April 1st: in Boston, 7 p.m. ET
Wed, April 2nd: in Carolina, 7 p.m. ET
Fri, April 4th: vs. Chicago, 7 p.m. ET
Sun, April 6th: at Islanders, 12:30 p.m. ET
Thu, April 10th: vs. Carolina, 7:30 p.m. ET
Sat. April 12: in Columbus, 7 p.m. ET
Sun, April 13th: vs. Columbus, 6 p.m. ET
Tue, April 15th: on Islanders, 8 p.m. ET
Thu, April 17th: in Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. ET

Schedule for Ovechkin’s milestone goal

No. 1: October 2, 2005 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (Pascal Leclaire)

#50: April 13, 2006 vs. Atlanta Thrashers (Mike Dunham)

No. 100: Oct. 12, 2007 vs. New York Rangers (Henrik Lundqvist)

No. 200: February 5, 2009 (Jonathan Quick)

#300: April 5, 2011 (James Reimer)

No. 400: December 20, 2013 (empty net)

#500: January 10, 2016 (Andrew Hammond)

#600: March 12, 2018 (Connor Hellebuyck)

#700: February 22, 2020 (Mackenzie Blackwood)

No. 800: December 13, 2022 (Petr Mrazek)

Hat tricks by season (32 career)

2005-06: 1
2006-07: 1
2007-08:3
2008-09:3
2009-10: 1
2010-11: 1
2011-12: 0
2012-13:2
2013-14: 1
2014-15: 0
2015-16:2
2016-17:2
2017-18:3
2018-19:3
2019-20: 4
2020-21: 0
2021-22: 1
2022-23:2
2023-24: 0
2024-25: 1