For a wrestling coach and a daughter of an NHL icon, ‘ALS stands for A Love Story’

Published

3 years ago

October 18, 2021

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7:50 AM ET

John N. Minton III

ON FEB. 7, 2018, 33-year-old Randel McCoy sits in his car, alone, in an empty parking lot. He’s processing the life-changing news he has just heard, contemplating a world in which he will slowly lose everything — his strength, his freedom, his life. Through tears, he reaches for his cellphone. He calls his brother. Then he dials the person he knows he can’t do this without, despite having known her for only six months.

Brianna LaFontaine, a daughter of New York Islanders legend and Hockey Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine, grew up in the seaside hamlet of Cold Spring Harbor, New York. Randel was raised by his mother, a hairdresser in a nearby town. Their paths converged after college: He was an assistant coach on the high school wrestling team where Brianna grew up, and she was a special education teacher at a neighboring school. They met in a chance encounter through a mutual friend and soon became inseparable.

For six months, it has never been difficult for Randel to pick up the phone to call Brianna. It’s the best part of his day. But this call, from the parking lot, is different. When Brianna answers, Randel is beside himself. She can’t understand him as he struggles to catch his breath. When he finally finds the words, it still isn’t much more than three letters.

ALS.

WRESTLING MEETS ARE loud. You can hear everything and nothing at the same time. The shouts of parents trying to will their children to victory bounce off the walls and merge with the grunts of athletes exerting themselves to their limits. For Randel — Coach Rans, as his wrestlers call him — the symphony can be a challenge. His voice isn’t as crisp as it used to be, but it’s as purposeful and impactful as ever.

“He would say ‘You got six minutes in a match. You don’t know how much time you have in your life, but you got to give it your all, all the time,” says Jacob Bruno, a former Cold Spring Harbor wrestler who graduated in 2020. “You’ve got to keep fighting. You’ve got to keep pushing.'”

Randel attained that wisdom at an early age.

His mother, Evelyn McCoy, raised him and his older brother, Tahid, in a small house in Huntington Station, New York. Her lessons on morals and manners have never left her sons. “She raised gentlemen,” says Tahid, a 42-year-old father of four who works as a custodian in the Cold Spring Harbor Central school district.

Randel’s grandmother and two uncles were fixtures in his upbringing, almost as much as sports. Whether it was lacrosse, track, football, basketball, baseball or wrestling, Randel had the natural talent to be the best athlete on any team. His mother was a constant at all his games, always cheering him on, until she no longer could.

Randel did not know that his mother was living with HIV. She was diagnosed with the virus in 1993, when he was 8 years old. Soon, her trips to the field to watch Randel play were replaced by doctor’s appointments. But in his young mind, they were just checkups, even when the appointments turned into hospital stays.

“I had no idea. And even telltale signs, as a kid, I didn’t recognize,” recalls Randel, who learned the truth in his mid-20s. “There was a slow transition of us moving from our house to my grandmother’s, which was supposed to be until Mom gets better.”

Randel’s grandmother would take him to the hospital to see his mother often. He would climb into the hospital bed and lie next to her. On one visit, he was startled as his mother kneeled down to vomit into a nearby garbage pail. She was just sick, he thought.

Randel’s last day with his mother isn’t a vivid memory for him; he never expected it would be the last. He can’t remember whether his mother said goodbye as he left her hospital room. It’s possible he was too distracted by the excitement of his 9th birthday that was just a few days away.

His mother wouldn’t be there to see it. Evelyn McCoy died on Jan. 21, 1994. She was 36 years old.

THERE WERE ALWAYS blueprints for home remodeling projects strewn around Brianna LaFontaine’s house. It’s part of the reason she believed that her father was an architect growing up, one who just happened to play hockey in his spare time. Brianna’s father didn’t fight that narrative. He didn’t want his kids to feel different because of his real profession. As parents, Pat and Mary Beth LaFontaine made it a priority to be nothing more than Mom and Dad to Brianna, her older sister, Sarah, and her younger brother, Daniel. But at some point, the kids started to notice the random requests from fans when they were out in public, like the time a man asked their father for an autograph on a Chinese takeout menu.

Pat was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003, with 1,013 points and 468 goals scored over his 15-year career. Hockey provided a comfortable life, but Pat and Mary Beth always pushed compassion over privilege.

“I always would always say, ‘Listen, guys, score your goals when you’re young, because in life, it’s about the assists, the assists are bigger and they matter more,'” Pat says now.

That left an impression on Brianna, who was an assertive child with a quiet confidence. Her parents called her an M&M, hard on the outside but soft on the inside. She graduated from Marist College in 2014 and became a special education teacher in the neighboring town of Huntington.

Of the three or four aides she worked with, she grew especially close to Melissa Sarducci. On Aug. 18, 2017, they were at Melissa’s house baking cupcakes for her niece and looking at pictures of Melissa’s recent birthday party. Brianna was scrolling through when she stopped on a picture featuring a handsome man with an athletic build and a charming smile.

“Oh, that’s Randel,” Melissa told her. “He’s like my brother. We’ve been best friends forever.”

Melissa jumped at the chance to play matchmaker after she saw the look on Brianna’s face and invited Randel over. “I had never met someone who was able to just make me laugh like that,” Brianna says. “He took all the pressure off. He was hilarious.”

The next day, Randel and Brianna followed each other on Instagram. She waited about 24 hours for Randel to send her a message before she slid into his DMs with a note to Melissa that she accidentally sent to him.

“I knew what I was doing,” Brianna says with a smile. “I thought he would believe it [was meant for Melissa], and he never did. He knew right away.”

The two have talked every day since.

WHEN JACOB BRUNO first joined the Cold Spring Harbor wrestling team, Coach Rans served as his wrestling partner. Randel saw his potential and was eager to build his skill set. For Bruno, it was mostly a beginner’s class full of technical lessons on grappling and takedowns. On occasion Randel would show a burst of speed or strength that would instantly remind Jacob of who the man across from him actually was, a former all-county wrestler and football player on Long Island.

By 2017, Bruno was captain of the team, and Cold Spring Harbor was one of the top-ranked programs in New York State. Brianna hardly ever missed a meet.

During one practice, Bruno and Randel were grappling when the coach suddenly stopped. He joked that he was just getting old and needed to go get a drink. But then Bruno saw Randel struggle with his hands to open the bottle cap.

It had happened before. In 2015, Randel was reaching for a fork at breakfast when his hand began to tremble. He shrugged it off and set some new goals in the weight room to help build back some strength he figured he was losing with age. After all, he was in his 30s now.

But the tremble didn’t go away. It wasn’t constant, and it wasn’t overt. But it would happen, a feeling of weakness that was progressing. At a weekly Tuesday dinner with some friends, Randel reached for his coffee mug and the tremble returned. Randel assured the group he was fine. Perhaps it was an early sign of the diabetes that ran in his family. But he wasn’t keen on finding out anything more.

A few months after they’d begun dating, Brianna caught on that something was wrong, and that Randel needed a push to seek answers. It was a difficult conversation; she knew he didn’t want to talk about it. Randel had worked so hard after the loss of his mother. He put himself through school and built a career. Randel felt that whatever was happening to him could threaten all of that, and much more. He was in love with Brianna.

He told her one October night in 2017, while they waited for an Uber after a party in New York City.

He glanced over to her and just said it.

“You know I love you, right?”

“My heart just fluttered. I felt it,” Brianna says.

“I love you, too.”

Brianna approached Randel with a pact. She had picked up smoking, and she wanted to stop. She knew it bothered Randel, so she made him a promise. She would quit cigarettes cold turkey if he would just go to the doctor for an examination. He agreed. She quit, and he went.

Test results came flooding in from bloodwork and MRIs. Everything was normal. News that might have been comforting instead only heightened the anxiety. Randel knew the progressive weakness wasn’t normal. He began seeing multiple doctors, then multiple neurologists. Then, one day after practice, Randel was on his way to Brianna’s apartment around the corner from the school when his phone rang. It was a nurse with information about his next appointment, and a suggestion that this time, he bring someone with him for support.

“That’s when I knew it was serious,” Randel says.

Randel disregarded the advice and went to the appointment by himself. When the doctor came into the room, Randel had already made up his mind that whatever the news, he would remain calm. He was stoic and attentive as he received his diagnosis. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive neurodegenerative disease. ALS attacks motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. When the cells die, muscle control and movement are lost, eventually including the ability to breathe on one’s own. There is no cure.

The appointment ended, and he walked to his car.

Brianna was at home, waiting by her phone. When it rang, she was met with an unfamiliar sound. Randel was sobbing. She went numb.

She called her parents crying. Randel was 33, 22 years younger than the average age of diagnosis. Brianna was convinced there was a mistake.

There were second and third opinions, but still, only one diagnosis.

“It’s me being cut short,” Randel says. “The same way I felt about my mother was the same way I felt about me. With ALS, the only word that you see is ‘terminal.'”

In the days that followed, Randel went back to work. Coaching was his passion, and he needed it now more than ever. It wouldn’t help him forget the diagnosis, but it did allow him to suppress the fear, however briefly. The first day he walked back into the gym, his childhood friend and fellow coach, Anthony Servidio, greeted him with a huge embrace. Every wrestler in the program followed suit. They wanted him to know, above all, that he wouldn’t be fighting alone.

“The kids help you to realize that there was more to live for,” Randel says.

Later that month, Randel and Brianna decided to escape the harsh New York winter and headed to St. Maarten in the Caribbean for a vacation. On the surface, the trip was purely for rest and relaxation, but Randel had the future in his thoughts. He was nervous.

He was in love with everything about Brianna. Their families got along famously. But he had been diagnosed with a terminal disease just 16 days before. Their future was now a much more challenging path.

Impossible questions and answers occupied his mind. What am I going to subject her to? How much will she be able to handle? But Randel found clarity on that trip. He was not going to allow ALS to dictate how he lived out the rest of his days.

It was a serene Tuesday night on the island. Randel didn’t want Brianna to miss it, so he coaxed her out for a walk down to a small rock wall alongside the white sand beach. Randel took a deep breath and spoke from a part of his body that ALS would never touch.

“I’m offering myself to you,” he told her. “You understand where I am, where I will be. If you can accept that, then I want you to be my bride.”

There was no hesitation. It was yes. It was always yes.

“We need each other,” Brianna says. “ALS stands for A Love Story to me.”

They were married on Nov. 8, 2019, in front of family and friends at a vineyard on Long Island. A framed picture of Randel’s mother was on the aisle seat of the front row.

“At the end of the day, all we have is love,” says Brianna’s father, Pat. “It conquers all.”

THE LaFONTAINES’ DRIVEWAY is lined with white and silver stone bricks that wind some 100 yards before revealing a stunning 6-bedroom, 6½-bath home on a 2-acre lot. As you approach the house, the driveway forks. To the right, a three-car garage sits adjacent to the combined basketball court and hockey rink. Above the garage is the apartment Brianna and Randel call home.

Every morning, just after he opens his eyes, Randel gingerly walks to the beige and brown bathroom and finds his toothbrush sitting on the edge of the sink. It’s already coated with the perfect amount of toothpaste, straight out of a Colgate commercial.

“She’s always one step ahead of me,” Randel says.

It’s January 2020, and every gesture, no matter how small, can become a memory. It’s how Randel and Brianna choose to live — not in years, but in moments. Randel’s arms and hands have grown weak, and his balance is suffering. A month earlier, he suffered a serious fall that scared everyone. Cognitively, Randel is who he always was, but now Brianna helps him get dressed, from his shirt down to his shoes and socks. She doesn’t want him struggling with the toothpaste tube, either. Today, Brianna is helping him get ready for a big meet against a rival school, Manhasset, coached by Randel’s childhood friend Stephon Sair. The meet had been scheduled for some time, but it has turned into something much more: a celebration of Randel and a fundraiser for the New York chapter of the ALS Foundation.

“He deserves to be honored,” Sair said. “What better way to do that than around kids that love him, coaches that love him and his family that loves him.”

The gym is adorned with lights of blue and orange — Manhasset’s school colors — and wrestlers and spectators wear white T-shirts with blue and red letters that read “Takedown ALS” on the front and “Wrestle for Rans” on the back. Randel is in his red Cold Spring Harbor coaching polo, sitting on a folding chair with his feet on the wrestling mat as the meet begins.

Cold Spring Harbor’s younger wrestlers fall behind early. At one point, it looks as if the night will end early. Cold Spring Harbor head coach Mike Ferrugiari pulls his team off to the side.

We can still take this match back, he tells them. And you know who you’re wrestling for. … This is about something bigger than yourself.

Before the meet continues, Bruno and co-captain Ethan Burdo walk to the center of the mat with a microphone. They address Randel in front of the few hundred people in attendance.

“Coach Rans, you’ve decided to make every minute count. Tonight, so are we,” Bruno says. “Let’s all come together to raise some awareness, watch some great wrestling, support our friend, brother, coach, and inspiration, Coach Randel McCoy.”

The crowd rises and showers Randel with applause. He smiles and nods his head in appreciation. Brianna stops clapping only to wipe the tears streaming down her face. Another moment, another memory.

Moments later, Burdo takes to the mat and pins his opponent to finally change the tide. Soon after, Burdo’s teammate Greyson Meak earns a huge pin against a tough opponent before Jackson Polo seals the match with a victory of his own.

“It’s the best high school athletic experience that I have,” Bruno says. “It’s more than a comeback win. We were wrestling for someone who meant so much to all of us.”

THE AVERAGE LIFE expectancy for an individual diagnosed with ALS is two to five years. This February will mark four years since Randel’s diagnosis.

His voice continues to strain, which on occasion, can lead to some misunderstandings. He once mentioned to Brianna how much he loved “C.C.,” as in Sabathia, the former New York Yankees pitcher. Brianna misheard him and instead gifted him a jersey signed by “Didi,” as in Gregorius, the former Yankees shortstop. Randel smiles thinking back on it.

This journey is not what he or Brianna had imagined it would be, far from it. Still, the two feel a heightened recognition of everything that makes life worth living.

Brianna still marvels at the energy that brought them together the afternoon they met. A part of her believes it was Randel’s mother, her spirit, seeking her out with Cupid’s arrow. But cherished memories aside, the pair doesn’t spend too much time mulling the past. Or the future, for that matter. They choose to spend their time in the present.

“We don’t have time to get upset over dumb things or to dwell on the past,” Brianna says. “It’s just he and I.”

“Everyone eventually perishes. I’m just getting a better view of my clock,” Randel says. “Nothing is on the disease. We won’t allow that to weigh in on our decisions. That’s how we live.”

Living on their own terms, in spite of the disease, provides a kind of satisfaction in the daily fight for their future. About a year ago, they bought their first house, just as they always dreamed they would. It’s a quaint ranch on a quiet street in Huntington. The single-floor living makes the day-to-day a little bit easier on everyone. Recently, Randel received a motorized wheelchair but would rather fight to walk on his own. Although it can be a struggle, it’s much easier with Brianna by his side.

Sports

The Alex Ovechkin Eras: Eight spans that define the career of the Great 8

Published

10 mins ago

April 5, 2025

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The Alex Ovechkin Eras: Eight spans that define the career of the Great 8

The Capitals improved by 11 points in the standings in Ovechkin’s rookie season. He helped, but he couldn’t do it alone.

In 2008, Alex Ovechkin found himself onstage at a club in Falls Church, Virginia, pretending to play guitar and pumping his fist to the crowd of Capitals fans who were instructed to keep the energy up during filming.

This music video would be a perfect time capsule for the “Rock The Red” movement in Washington — in which the home stands would be a sea of red jerseys and shirts — and not just because Ovechkin’s rock star status went from figurative to literal. The Caps won the Southeast Division in 2007-08, returning to the playoffs after a three-season drought. Under head coach Bruce Boudreau, who took over after 21 games, they played an electric offensive game that catered to Ovechkin’s skills and created a renewed fan buzz.

On stage with Ovechkin were fellow members of “The Young Guns,” as the players would be known. Center Nicklas Backstrom would become a driving force behind Ovechkin’s goal-scoring domination. His biggest takeaway from playing alongside Ovechkin: “Probably explaining to him that he wasn’t always open, but he wanted the puck all the time anyway,” Backstrom said recently with a laugh.

Defenseman Mike Green, who was in the video, would pilot their power play and become a two-time Norris Trophy runner-up. Winger Alex Semin, Ovechkin’s young countryman, would become a 40-goal scorer. Beyond them were Brooks Laich, an essential “glue guy,” and, eventually, standout defensemen John Carlson and Karl Alzner.

But the music video was also demonstrative of the Capitals’ swagger, something else Ovechkin brought to the franchise. Washington lost in seven games to the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, but it was clear they were pointed toward greater success. Something Sidney Crosby’s Penguins had already achieved.

After losing Rookie of the Year to Ovechkin, Crosby won his first NHL MVP trophy as a 19-year-old in 2006-07. By 2008, he was playing for the Stanley Cup, losing in the Final to Detroit. Like Ovechkin, he had some new friends, too: Malkin, Kris Letang, Marc-Andre Fleury and Jordan Staal.

Ovechkin did Crosby one better between 2007-09: He became the first skater to win back-to-back Hart Trophies since Wayne Gretzky in 1985-87. (Goalie Dominik Hasek won consecutive MVPs from 1996-98). It was clear he was a franchise player, and Leonsis gave him a contract commensurate with that status: In 2008, Ovechkin signed a 13-year, $124 million deal he negotiated himself. The first $100 million contract in NHL history, it had its critics at the time, although they’d fall silent years later when his $9 million cap hit was re-contextualized as a bargain as the salary cap rose.

In 2008-09, Ovechkin scored 56 goals in the regular season to lead Washington to another division title and then had seven points in seven games to win his first playoff series over the New York Rangers — setting up the first meeting between Crosby and Ovechkin in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Game 2 of that series would provide one of the defining moments of their rivalry: The “Double Hat Trick” game in Washington, as both Crosby and Ovechkin completed hat tricks in the Capitals’ 4-3 win. Fans threw so many hats on the ice after Ovechkin’s third goal that Crosby asked if the officials “could make an announcement to ask them to stop.”

Ovechkin (14 points) outscored Crosby (13) in that series, but the Penguins outlasted the Capitals in seven games — advancing to win the Stanley Cup, which would become a recurring theme in their rivalry. Ovechkin had a chance to turn Game 7 in Washington’s favor with a breakaway in the first three minutes of the first period but was robbed by Fleury.

It was a missed opportunity. The Capitals would miss more of them to a much greater degree in the next few seasons.

The importance of the double hat-trick game between Crosby and Ovechkin

“The Drop” discuss Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin’s first playoff meeting and the importance of their double hat-trick game.

The Crisis Era (2009-14)
Goals scored: 203

Ovechkin was given the Capitals’ captaincy in Jan. 2010 after Chris Clark was traded to Columbus. He scored another 50 goals in 2009-10 and was driving a team that had pushed deeper into the playoffs than it had in any season since 1998. Washington finished that campaign with a .738 points percentage and captured their first Presidents’ Trophy in franchise history — along with all the supernatural misfortune associated with being the league’s best regular-season team.

The Capitals faced the Montreal Canadiens, who ranked 16th out of 16 playoff teams in regular-season success. After dropping the opening game in overtime, Washington won three straight games. Then it happened: a combination of Montreal goalie Jaroslav Halak with the Capitals’ sputtering offense and unmistakable jitters led the Canadiens to win the series in seven games. The Washington offensive machine was limited to one goal in each of the final three losses. Ovechkin didn’t have a goal in the final two.

This wasn’t just playoff disappointment for Ovechkin’s Capitals, but postseason regression. It sparked the first wave of conversations about Washington as a playoff underachiever and whether the Caps’ regular-season offensive wizardry could ever translate to Stanley Cup success. Despite respectable postseason numbers, Ovechkin wasn’t immune to that criticism either.

Things briefly looked up in 2010-11. The Capitals won their division for the fourth straight time and then beat the Rangers in five games in the opening round, where Ovechkin had six points. He had four points in four games in the next round, but playoff embarrassment was getting old for the “Young Guns”: The Tampa Bay Lightning swept the Caps out of the playoffs.

Skepticism about Washington being able to get over the hump due to their style of play had morphed into a full-on crisis of faith. They slumped after a hot start in 2011-12, with Ovechkin going through a stretch of one goal in eight games. Boudreau paid for that slump with his job, as Washington fired him in Nov. 2011 after 22 games (12-9-1). Ovechkin’s relationship with his former coach was scrutinized. Some labeled the Capitals star a “coach killer” in the wake of the popular Boudreau’s dismissal.

“It is complete nonsense that I would get Bruce fired,” Ovechkin said to Yahoo! Sports in 2011. “How is it on me? How can I, a player, get a coach fired? How can I quit playing for the coach who gave me so much in my career?”

The Capitals hired Dale Hunter, a franchise icon who had been a head coach in Canadian junior hockey, to replace Boudreau, with the explicit mandate to get Ovechkin and his teammates to defend to a championship standard. In other words: fewer pretty passes, more blocked shots.

Ovechkin saw his ice time drop to under 20 minutes per game for the first time. He called the season “a hard year, mentally” and his stats reflected that: Ovechkin had 65 points, a career low, although his goal-scoring rose from 32 to 38 year over year.

The Capitals defeated the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round that season and then were eliminated by the Rangers in seven games in the second round. Ovechkin had four points against New York.

Hunter left the Capitals after the season to return to juniors. The Capitals hired New Jersey Devils assistant coach Adam Oates to take over. While Ovechkin led the league in goals in both of Oates’ seasons in Washington, the Capitals’ postseason misfortunes continued: losing to the Rangers in the first round in 2013, after a lockout-shortened season in which Ovechkin won his third MVP; and then missing the playoffs in 2013-14 for the first time since 2006-07, and only the third time in Ovechkin’s career, which led to both Oates and GM McPhee being fired.

Ovechkin was now the lightning rod for criticism about the Capitals’ lack of playoff success and diminishing returns. The criticism was carried to extremes, like when The Hockey News published an article in May 2014 titled “Alex Ovechkin to KHL would be a blessing in disguise for Capitals.”

All of it left Ovechkin baffled and frustrated. He actually clarified after the season that he was still having fun and wasn’t going to ask for a trade.

“If you remember when Hunter was here and I didn’t score goals, you guys said, ‘Why don’t you score goals?’ I said, ‘My job [is] to block shots’. The whole world says, ‘Ovi stop playing what he used to play, he’s gone. We [are] never going to see him again,'” he said after the 2013-14 season. “I don’t want to turn my back on this kind of position again. I get paid to score goals. I scored 50.”

Ovechkin scored 203 goals in this era. That was seven fewer in this span than Steven Stamkos, the new goal-scoring marvel in the NHL. But while Ovechkin had his struggles, he was still piling on the goals to his career total.

In 2010, ESPN’s John Buccigross was among the first to publicly suggest that Ovechkin might break Gretzky’s goals record. “This will take a lot of health, a lot of hockey love and a lot of luck. But it’s not far-fetched.”

The Frustration Era (2014-17)
Goals scored: 136

General manager Brian MacLellan hired former Nashville Predators coach Barry Trotz to take over the Capitals for 2014-15. Other new faces had joined Washington in recent seasons, too, augmenting the core around Ovechkin: forwards Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson, defensemen Brooks Orpik and Dmitry Orlov and goaltender Braden Holtby. Soon, T.J. Oshie would arrive from the St. Louis Blues.

Trotz would have a critical relationship with Ovechkin, whose goal total rose back to 51 in Oates’ last season in Washington. Trotz was aware of Ovechkin’s reputation as a “coach killer” and accusations of selfish play. From their first meeting, Trotz got to know a player who liked being challenged and was summarily obsessed with winning the Stanley Cup.

MacLellan and Trotz agreed that surrounding Ovechkin with enough talent to ease his burden was the best move. Sometimes, that led to overcorrections — like when Ovechkin’s ice time dropped to 18:22 per game and his goals dropped to 33 in the 2016-17 season. But Trotz insisted it was to serve the ultimate goal.

Trotz got Ovechkin back to the playoffs in 2014-15, winning in seven against the New York Islanders before losing again to the Rangers in seven games. They were sixth in the NHL in offense and seventh in defense, after being 13th and 21st under Oates.

This started a run of three straight postseasons in which the Capitals had their run end in the second round. The next two instances had a common theme: Sidney Crosby and the Penguins.

Ovechkin’s archrival had two assists in the Penguins’ six-game victory over the Capitals in 2016, a series where Ovechkin had seven points to lead the Capitals. Five of the six games were determined by one goal. Like they did in 2009, the Penguins vaulted over the Capitals and eventually won the Stanley Cup against San Jose.

The same thing would happen in 2017. The Capitals eliminated the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games to earn a rematch with Pittsburgh. This time, Crosby had seven points in six games and Fleury shut out the Capitals in Game 7 to eliminate Washington. Two rounds later, Crosby was hoisting the Cup after defeating Nashville.

Three Cup wins for Sid The Kid, each time at the expense of Ovechkin.

He was a nonfactor for much of it. Ovechkin criticized his own performance in Game 4. Trotz shifted his superstar winger to the third line against Pittsburgh in Game 5. In Games 6 and 7, Ovechkin didn’t register a point and was a minus-2 in the series finale.

As one veteran coach told ESPN at the time: “He just doesn’t have that body language that says, ‘I’m taking over.’ Normally, he’s like an assassin.”

The Capitals’ defeat in 2017 earned Washington the moniker of “saddest sports town” from the New York Times: “The issue is no longer whether the Capitals will ever win the Stanley Cup with Ovechkin and the immensely talented core around him. It’s whether this group can ever get past the playoffs’ second round.”

The Stanley Cup Era (2017-18)
Goals scored: 49

Alex Ovechkin was on stage again in front of Capitals fans. It was June 2018. His long beard hung over red party beads around his neck. On his head was something only previously attainable through photoshop edits: a hat with a Capitals logo and the words “Stanley Cup Champs.”

Ovechkin was giving a victory speech to a packed National Mall. “We’re not going to f—ing suck this year!” he bellowed. “We’re STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS. Yeaaaaaaaaah!”

All of those playoff disappointments. All of those harsh lessons learned. All of that criticism Ovechkin shouldered for his team, whether it was personally warranted or not. As he lifted and kissed the Stanley Cup — with his Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP beside him — the burdens he carried as a franchise savior and NHL superstar were lifted, too.

This is what catharsis looks like.

By this time, it was clear Ovechkin had a career that likely would put him in the Hall of Fame, with a goal total that was going to end up among the highest ever. Winning the Stanley Cup meant that there would be no caveats, no “but he never won a championship” detractions when it came to his hockey immortality.

The postseason was its own Eras Tour for Ovechkin’s Capitals. They defeated Columbus in the first round, coached by their old Rangers rival John Tortorella. Then came the third straight meeting with Sidney Crosby and the Penguins. After losing Game 1, the Capitals rallied to take a 3-2 series lead. Ovechkin, who had seven points in the series, had the primary assist on Kuznetsov’s overtime goal in Game 6 that eliminated Pittsburgh and put Ovi in a conference championship round for the first time.

With those demons from Pittsburgh exorcised, the Capitals defeated another postseason tormentor in the Lightning in seven games, shutting them out in Games 6 and 7. (Somewhere, Dale Hunter smiles at defense winning championships.)

The Final Boss was Vegas, as the Golden Knights shocked the NHL by advancing to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season. That team’s architect? GM George McPhee, who drafted Ovechkin and surrounded him with the “Young Guns.” Their starting goalie? Marc-Andre Fleury, who had previously made Ovechkin’s postseason life miserable.

Washington won the Stanley Cup in five games. Ovechkin had five points in the series, including a goal in the clincher. He was finally a champion. Ovechkin ended the postseason with 15 goals in 24 games and won the Conn Smythe.

The Capitals did not, in fact, suck that year.

Elder Statesman Era (2018-23)
Goals scored: 215

This era is the greatest tribute to the transformative effect that winning the Stanley Cup had on Ovechkin.

Washington would lose in the first round in the next four seasons after skating the Cup, under head coaches Todd Reirden — who replaced Trotz when the coach had a contract dispute with the Capitals — and Peter Laviolette, who replaced Reirden in 2020. But the afterglow of the Cup was bright enough to obscure any disappointment. Ovechkin’s MVP performance — and his continued ascent up the all-time goal-scoring rankings — were a shield from any criticism.

Ovechkin led the NHL in goals in 2018-19 and 2019-20. In total, he won the Richard Trophy in seven of eight seasons from 2012-2020. He remained a dominant goal-scorer even as he aged into being one of the NHL’s elder statesmen, something emphasized by Ovechkin’s hair and beard having gone gray.

Another hallmark of Ovechkin’s maturity — and, more importantly, how winning the Cup unburdened him — was his burgeoning friendship with Crosby. The two would bond at the NHL All-Star Game, chatting during the skills competition, the old school watching the new school.

At the 2023 All-Star Game in South Florida, Crosby, 35, and Ovechkin, 37, was a dual-entry in the breakaway challenge trick-shot competition: skating in on a three-on-none with Ovechkin’s 4-year-old son, Sergei, who had watched the event with his father near the benches while wearing an “Ovi Jr.” jersey.

“Before we ever played a game against each other, there was a rivalry,” Crosby said at the time. “It was always set up that way. I think over time, you understand that it gets heated and intense on the ice. We both want to have success. But you appreciate you playing against each other for as long as it’s been.”

Off the ice, Ovechkin’s public statements courted controversy.

In 2017, Ovechkin announced that he was spearheading a social media campaign in support of Russian president Vladimir Putin that was called “Putin Team.” Ovechkin had been a vocal supporter of Putin before. “I never hid my relationship with our president, always openly supported him,” he said. “I’m certain that there are many of us that support Vladimir Putin. Let’s unite and show everyone a strong and united Russia.”

That support was put under a microscope in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. The NHL suspended its dealings with the KHL in March 2022. It also terminated its broadcast agreement with Russian television. Russia has been frozen out of the hockey world since its invasion of Ukraine. It was banned, along with Belarus, from international hockey tournaments by the International Ice Hockey Federation starting in 2022. That ban was extended last month through the 2025-26 season.

Ovechkin received backlash from fans who were angered by the invasion — he has a photo with the Russian president as his social media profile.

“He’s my president. But like I said, I’m not in politics. I’m an athlete,” he said. “I hope everything is going to be done soon. It’s a hard situation right now for both sides.”

Ultimately, Ovechkin’s statement on the matter was a plea for peace: “Please, no more war. It doesn’t matter who is in the war — Russia, Ukraine, different countries — we have to live in peace.”

This era was also defined by Ovechkin’s decision to remain in Washington. He signed a five-year, $47.5 million deal in July 2021 to potentially play out his career with the Capitals — including his pursuit of Gretzky’s record. At that point, he was sixth on the all-time list, with 730 goals.

The Catching Gretzky Era (2024-present)
Goals scored: 67 (and counting)

One condition Ovechkin put on the Capitals before signing his extension in 2021: He wanted to play for a contender, not a rebuilding team.

Leonsis promised that a rebuild wouldn’t happen. “To me, a rebuild is when you look the players, the coaches, the fans in the eye and say we’re gonna be really, really bad. And if we were really, really bad, I don’t think Alex would break the record,” the owner said.

In turn, Ovechkin promised Leonsis that he’d stay in shape and his eyes wouldn’t be fixated on breaking Gretzky’s record of 894 goals, but on bringing another Stanley Cup to Washington.

The Capitals missed the playoffs in 2022-23 and decided to change coaches. They hired 42-year-old Spencer Carbery, an assistant coach with the Maple Leafs who had history in the Capitals’ farm system. A candid speaker and a strong tactician, Carbery returned Washington to the playoffs as a wild card in 2023-2024 and has them threatening to win the Presidents’ Trophy in 2024-25.

Leonsis kept his promise to Ovechkin, as the Capitals smartly added talent around him in players like forwards Dylan Strome and Pierre-Luc Dubois, defenseman Jakob Chychrun and goalie Logan Thompson. The prospect pipeline that had produced so many of Ovechkin’s teammates through the years gave him impact players in Connor McMichael and Aliaksei Protas. Considering how Crosby’s Penguins trended after their championship runs, the fact that the Capitals were a contender again was nothing short of remarkable.

Ovechkin scored 31 goals in 2023-24, but there was reasonable concern about whether he’d be able to catch Gretzky. He appeared to be slowing offensively, with an 11-goal and 10-point drop year over year. He had perhaps the worst playoff series of his career against the Rangers in 2024, with no goals or assists and five shots on goal in New York’s sweep.

Ovechkin put those concerns to rest with 17 goals in his first 20 games of the 2024-25 season, the hottest goal-scoring start of his career. Not even a fractured fibula could slow him down for long. After being injured on Nov. 18, he returned to the Capitals lineup on Dec. 28 — scoring another goal in his comeback game. As was often said about Ovechkin during a career built on good health: Russian Machine never breaks.

The gap between Ovechkin and Gretzky became one of single digits. Breaking the record was no longer just possible. It was inevitable.

Where does Ovechkin rank all time among NHL greats?

“The Drop” discusses where Alex Ovechkin falls in the conversation of greatest hockey players in NHL history as he closes in on Wayne Gretzky’s goal record.

The Legacy Era

Ovechkin’s contract expires after the 2025-26 season. He has indicated it might be his last one in the NHL. If healthy enough, finishing his playing career with Dynamo Moscow in the KHL is a possibility.

It won’t be the last of Ovechkin in North America, of course. He would have been a Hockey Hall of Fame player with or without the goals record, but will be inducted in Toronto the moment he’s eligible.

Where Ovechkin ranks on all-time NHL player lists is subjective — criticisms of his defensive game will undoubtedly put him below a more well-rounded player like Crosby, for example. Being “the greatest goal-scorer of all-time” is more quantifiable, especially when one considers how Ovechkin achieved his career total against goaltenders, defensive systems and a depth of talent that Gretzky didn’t face for most of his career.

However Ovechkin is remembered, his legacy is the culmination of all the eras he toured throughout his NHL career. The highs, the lows, the turbulence and the triumphs combined to create one of the singular superstars in NHL history.

Sports

Ovechkin career goal record chase: No. 894 ties Wayne Gretzky

Published

10 mins ago

April 5, 2025

admin

Ovechkin career goal record chase: No. 894 ties Wayne Gretzky

After breaking the 800-goal barrier during the 2022-23 season, Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin now has his sights set on breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record of 894.

Ovechkin began the 2024-25 season with 853 goals and has tied the record, with 894. The excitement around the chase has led to Ovi becoming one of the NHL’s most popular bets, with a slew of interesting props.

Follow along here as we chronicle each subsequent goal Ovechkin scores this season, including goal highlights, the upcoming Capitals schedule and how to watch.

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Upcoming schedule | Goal videos

The NHL’s top 10 in career goals

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)

Goals scored in 2024-25

No. 894: April 4 vs. CHI

How else but on the power play? Six minutes, 13 seconds into the third period, Ovechkin scored the record-tying goal as Wayne Gretzky watched from the crowd. The monumental goal was assisted by John Carlson and Andrew Mangiapane.

Ovechkin shows love to crowd after tying Gretzky at 894 goals

Alex Ovechkin ties Wayne Gretzky for most goals in NHL history at 894.

No. 893: April 4 vs. CHI

Ovechkin scored 3:52 into the first period against the Blackhawks to move two goals away from the all-time record — and score his 40th of the season. The goal was assisted by Dylan Strome and John Carlson.

Ovechkin 2 away from passing Gretzky with 893rd goal

Alex Ovechkin lights the lamp as he inches closer to breaking Wayne Gretzkys all-time scoring record.

No. 892: April 2 vs. CAR

Now just three goals away from the record, Ovechkin’s 892nd was a vintage strike — powering home a shot from the left circle on a Capitals power play to cut into the Hurricanes’ lead.

Alex Ovechkin now 3 goals away from breaking Gretzky’s record

Alex Ovechkin scores career goal 892, putting him three away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record.

No. 891: April 1 vs. BOS

Ovechkin was in the right place at the right time for his 891st career goal. He received the puck just in front of an empty net and scored on the power play — which secured his 18th career season with at least 10 power-play goals, according to ESPN Research.

Ovechkin scores 891st goal, 4 away from breaking record

Alex Ovechkin scores from close range, putting him three away from tying Wayne Gretzky’s record.

No. 890: March 30 vs. BUF

Ovechkin’s chase to pass Gretzky can now be counted down on one hand. He found the net midway through the third period on a neat no-look tip-in.

Ovechkin scores 890th goal, moves 5 away from breaking Gretzky’s record

Alex Ovechkin scores on a fantastic redirection for his 890th career goal.

No. 889: March 25 vs. WPG

Facing a 2-1 deficit late in the third period, Ovechkin connected on a snap shot to even the game. It marked the 150th game-tying goal of his career, 11 more than anyone else in NHL history, according to ESPN Research.

Ovechkin’s 889th goal moves him 6 away from breaking Gretzky’s record

Alex Ovechkin nets his 889th career goal to tie the score in the third period, putting him six away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record.

No. 888: March 20 vs. PHI

Ovechkin put home a follow-up chance late in the first period versus the Flyers. Ovi now has has 52 career goals against Philadelphia, the all-time second-most against the Flyers, passing Mario Lemieux.

Ovechkin 7 goals away from passing Gretzky after 888th goal

Alex Ovechkin nets his 888th career goal, putting him seven away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record.

No. 887: March 15 vs. SJ

Already comfortably ahead against San Jose, Ovechkin tipped in a goal in the third period. Eighteen of Ovi’s 34 goals have come in the third period this season, the most in the NHL, according to ESPN Research.

Ovechkin’s redirect goal moves him 8 away from breaking Gretzky’s record

Alex Ovechkin redirects the puck into the net for his 887th career goal.

No. 886: March 9 vs. SEA

Ovechkin was out on the ice to help preserve a late third-period lead against Seattle, and wrestled enough space from a Kraken defender to score an empty-net goal to put the game out of reach.

Alex Ovechkin nets career goal No. 886, eight shy of Wayne Gretzky’s record

Alex Ovechkin taps in an empty-netter for career goal No. 886 and his 1,600th point.

No. 885: March 5 vs. NYR

Ovi’s goal went a long way for the Capitals as it evened the score with 9:32 left in the third period. Washington went on to secure an overtime victory after Ovechkin netted his 32nd goal in 46 games this season.

Ovechkin scores 885th goal, 10 away from passing Gretzky

Alex Ovechkin scores his 32nd goal of the season, putting him only 10 away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record.

No. 884: March 1 vs. TB

Although the Capitals lost a showdown with old Southeastern Division foe Tampa Bay, Ovi put himself 10 goals from tying Gretzky via a third-period goal assisted by Matt Roy.

Alex Ovechkin closes in on history with late goal for Capitals

Alex Ovechkin is just 10 goals away from Wayne Gretzky’s record 894 after this goal against the Lightning.

No. 883: Feb. 25 vs. CGY

Ovechkin connected on a goal on a Capitals power play against the Calgary Flames, his eighth in eight games and 30th of the season. Ovechkin is the fourth player in NHL history to score 30 goals at age 39 or older.

EIGHT GOALS IN EIGHT GAMES.

THE #GR8CHASE IS ROLLING FOLKS!#ALLCAPS | @BlueHalo pic.twitter.com/I09wwQi0IO

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 26, 2025

Nos. 880, 881, 882: Feb. 23 vs. EDM

Ovechkin first found the net nearly halfway through the second period against the Edmonton Oilers. About ten minutes later, he did it again, concluding a Washington power play with a goal. His third came on an empty netter late in the third period, Ovechkin’s seventh empty net goal this season.

Ovechkin has 200 goals since Jan. 1, 2020, becoming the first player in NHL history to score 200+ goals in three different decades. Ovechkin is now on pace to break Gretzky’s career goals record by the end of this season, per all three methodologies ESPN Research has used.

Ovechkin’s hat trick puts him 13 away from breaking Gretzky’s record

Alex Ovechkin scores a hat trick against the Oilers to reach 882 career goals.

No. 879: Feb. 6 vs. PHI

Down 1-0 in the first period against the Philadelphia Flyers, Ovechkin evened the score in the final minute with a one-timer.

Alex Ovechkin moves 16 goals away from breaking Gretzky’s record

Alex Ovechkin scores his 879th career goal to move 16 goals away from eclipsing Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record

No. 878: Feb. 4 vs. FLA

Every second counts. Ovechkin netted his 878th goal with just 0.1 seconds left, slotting the puck in an empty net against the Florida Panthers.

Alexander Ovechkin beats the buzzer to score goal 878

Alexander Ovechkin scores an empty-netter with 0.1 left to give him his 878th goal of his career.

No. 877: Feb. 1 vs. WPG

Ovechkin tied the game with under eight minutes left in the third period with his 877th goal. The Caps would lose in overtime in a matchup of two of the NHL’s top teams.

Alex Ovechkin brings Caps even with his 877th career goal

Alex Ovechkin ties the score at 4 and moves 18 goals from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record.

No. 876: Jan. 30 vs. OTT

Ovechkin scored against the Ottawa Senators exactly two weeks in ago in their Jan. 16 matchup and did it again with a power play finish in the third period against Ottawa. It marked Ovechkin’s NHL-record 318th career power play goal.

Alex Ovechkin nets his 876th goal with a great shot from the point

Alex Ovechkin finds the back of the net for his 876th goal to pull the Capitals within 1.

No. 875: Jan. 23 vs. SEA

Ovi added another empty-net tally to his career total to put the finishing touches on this victory for the Caps, assisted by Trevor van Riemsdyk and Jakob Chychrun.

Alex Ovechkin scores 875th NHL goal

Alex Ovechkin scores in the third period and is now 20 goals away from passing Wayne Gretzky on the NHL’s all-time list.

No. 874: Jan. 16 vs. OTT

Ovechkin locked in one record with his 874th goal. He broke the mark for the most goaltenders scored on after slotting one past Ottawa’s Leevi Merilainen for a game-winning overtime goal.

Alex Ovechkin’s 874th career goal wins it in OT for the Capitals

Alex Ovechkin breaks through in overtime with his 874th career goal to propel the Capitals to a 1-0 win.

No. 873: Jan. 11 vs. NSH

Ovechkin put the finishing touches on a the Caps’ 4-1 win over the Predators by way of an empty-net goal.

Alex Ovechkin scores his 873rd career goal on empty net

Alex Ovechkin moves 21 goals away from Wayne Gretzky’s record with an empty-net goal to seal the Capitals’ win.

No. 872: Jan. 4 vs. NYR

The Capitals wound up scoring seven on the reeling Rangers, and Ovechkin’s 19th of the season made it 5-3 in the third period, assisted by Dylan Strome.

Alex Ovechkin scores his 872nd career goal to increase Caps’ lead

Alex Ovechkin nets his 872nd career goal and is 23 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record.

No. 871: Jan. 2 vs. MIN

Although the Capitals lost in a shootout to the Wild, Ovechkin added to his career total via a second-period, power-play goal, assisted by Dylan Strome.

Ovechkin inches closer to Gretzky’s record with another goal

Alex Ovechkin moves closer to Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goalscoring record with this fierce finish vs. the Wild.

No. 870: Dec. 29 vs. DET

Ovechkin is making up for time lost during his injury absence, scoring his second goal in as many games since returning. His 17th of the season was assisted by Jakob Chychrun and Connor McMichael.

Ovechkin inches closer to Gretzky with 870th goal

Alex Ovechkin is now 25 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record of 894 goals.

No. 869: Dec. 28 vs. TOR

In his first game back following a five-week stint on injured reserve, Ovechkin notched an empty-net goal to seal the deal against the Maple Leafs. The goal was assisted by Aliaksei Protas and Pierre-Luc Dubois.

Alex Ovechkin scores in return to Capitals

Alex Ovechkin comes one goal closer to the record after scoring an empty-net goal.

No. 868, 867: Nov. 18 vs. UTA

A day after his hat trick against Vegas, Ovechkin scored two more against the Hockey Club — and might’ve had another if he wasn’t knocked out of the game following a collision with Jack McBain. Goal No. 867 was assisted by Pierre-Luc Dubois, while No. 868 was on the power play, and assisted by John Carlson and Dylan Strome.

Ovechkin’s 2nd goal of the night gets him to 868

Alex Ovechkin nets his second goal of the game to put the Capitals up 4-1 over the Utah HC, and moves within 26 goals of tying Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record.

Alex Ovechkin cashes goal 867 for Capitals

Alex Ovechkin finds the back of the net to give the Capitals a 3-1 lead over Utah, and moves within 27 goals of tying Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record.

No. 866, 865, 864: Nov. 17 vs. VGK

Back in 2018, Ovechkin and the Capitals won the Stanley Cup in Vegas. There was less at stake in this game, but Ovi came through with a hat trick in the Caps’ 5-2 win: a first-period, power-play tally (assisted by John Carlson and Dylan Strome), a second-period score assisted by Matt Roy, and an empty-net goal to cap it off (assisted by Aliaksei Protas and Martin Fehervary).

Alex Ovechkin lights the lamp

Alex Ovechkin nets goal for Capitals

Ovechkin’s 864th goal tips off defender’s stick

Alex Ovechkin nets his 864th career goal after his shot banks off Alex Pietrangelo’s stick.

No. 863, 862: Nov. 9, 2024 vs. STL

Did you seriously think that an 8-1 win for the Capitals would not include any goals from Ovechkin? Ovi scored in the second period (assisted by Aliaksei Protas and Dylan Strome) to make it 2-1, then added a power-play tally in the third (assisted by Strome and Tom Wilson) to make it 4-1.

Ovechkin tallies his 2nd goal of the game and 863rd of career

Alex Ovechkin’s wrist shot finds the net to pad the Capitals’ lead vs. the Blues and creep ever closer towards Gretzky’s scoring record.

Alex Ovechkin nets 862nd goal

No. 861: Nov. 6, 2024 vs. NSH

Ovechkin scored his eighth goal of the season at 10:25 of the third period on assists from Dylan Strome and Martin Fehervary.

Alex Ovechkin nets 861st NHL goal vs. Nashville

No. 860: Nov. 3, 2024 vs. CAR

Though the Capitals lost, 4-2, Ovi notched a first-period, power-play tally, on assists from John Carlson and Dylan Strome.

Ovechkin tallies 860th goal, 34 away from tying Gretzky

Alex Ovechkin scores on the power play, which is his 860th career goal, making him 34 shy of tying Wayne Gretzky for the most goals of all time.

No. 859: Nov. 2, 2024 vs. CBJ

Ovechkin was one of six different Capitals to score in the team’s route of the BJs, and his goal was assisted by Dylan Strome and Aliaksei Protas.

Ovechkin tallies goal No. 859 for Capitals

Alex Ovechkin slaps it in from distance to get his 859th career goal and pad the Capitals’ lead vs. the Blue Jackets.

No. 858: Oct. 31, 2024 vs. MTL

A 6-3 Capitals win with an Ovechkin goal as the capper? The fans went home happy from this one. Assists on this goal were from Aliaksei Protas and Dylan Strome.

Alex Ovechkin tallies goal No. 858 for Caps

Alex Ovechkin pads the Capitals’ lead vs. the Canadiens with his 858th career goal.

No. 857, 856: Oct. 29, 2024 vs. NYR

A raucous, 5-3 win for the Capitals included two first-period tallies from Ovi, both assisted by Aliaksei Protas and Dylan Strome.

Alex Ovechkin’s 857th goal puts Capitals back on top

Alex Ovechkin nets his second goal of the first period to retake the Capitals’ early lead vs. the Rangers.

Alex Ovechkin 856th goal gets the Capitals on the board

Alex Ovechkin scores early in the first period to give the Capitals a quick 1-0 lead over the Rangers.

No. 855: Oct. 23, 2024 vs. PHI

Ovechkin has a knack for empty-net goals, and added to his career total in that category to cap off a win against Philly, with an assist from Dylan Strome.

Alex Ovechkin scores goal vs. Flyers

No. 854: Oct. 19, 2024 vs. NJ

It took to the fourth game of the Capitals’ season for Ovechkin to get his first marker of the campaign, on assists from John Carlson and Dylan Strome.

Alex Ovechkin scores goal for Capitals

Alex Ovechkin nets goal for Capitals

Upcoming schedule

Note: All games available to ESPN+ subscribers at no extra charge as part of NHL Power Play on ESPN+, unless otherwise noted. Blackout restrictions apply.

Sun, Apr 6: at Islanders, 12:30 (TNT/truTV/Max)

Thu, Apr 10: vs. Carolina, 7:30

Sat, Apr 12: at Columbus, 7:00 (ABC/ESPN+)

Sun, Apr 13: vs. Columbus, 6:00

Tue, Apr 15: at Islanders, 8:00 (ESPN)

Thu, Apr 17: at Pittsburgh, 7:00 (ESPN)

Sports

Ovechkin scores 894th, draws even with Gretzky

Published

10 mins ago

April 5, 2025

admin

Ovechkin scores 894th, draws even with Gretzky

WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin wants to be the NHL’s all-time goal leader, but under one condition.

“I don’t want an empty net,” Ovechkin said.

Ovechkin tied Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 goals with two tallies in a 5-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night.

However, when the Blackhawks pulled goalie Spencer Knight late in the third period and the Capitals ahead 4-3, Ovechkin appeared to tell coach Spencer Carbery “no” and sat in the middle of the bench.

“He wants to break the record with a goaltender in the crease, which I appreciate,” Carbery said. “He told me that on the bench, and I just wanted to confirm that he didn’t want to go out. And it’s hard for us as coaches because I just wanted to make sure in that moment: hat track, at home. And he didn’t want to go out and score on an empty net to break the record. We have six games left, and he wants to break the record and have that moment where he’s shooting the puck past a goalie.”

Ovechkin said it wasn’t just Carbery who asked him late in the game.

“I tell Carbs right away, ‘I don’t want to do it.’ Stromer [Dylan Strome] ask me, Carly [John Carlson] ask me, everybody ask me, ‘Do you want it? Do you want it?'” Ovechkin said. “I said let’s wait.”

Ovechkin said this at a news conference while sitting next to Gretzky, who quipped: “I’ll take all the empty nets I can get.”

Ovechkin has nine more empty-net goals than Gretzky did in his career.

Rookie Ryan Leonard scored on the empty net for his first career goal to seal the victory.

“The young man that got his first goal tonight said, ‘Only have 895 to go to pass Alex,'” Gretzky said with a smile.

“I’m happy for Leno,” Ovechkin said. “He score his first NHL goal. The kid have a great future. Tonight is an unbelievable night for our organization, for hockey, for D.C. Wayne Gretzky saw that, and it’s unbelievable.”

Once Leonard scored and Knight returned, Ovechkin was ready to strike again. The 39-year-old took four shots over the final 1 minute, 18 seconds of game time, to no avail.

“I have pretty good chances in the last minute,” Ovechkin said, before joking: “If Stromer give me a nice pass, like a flat one, it would be probably be in.”

The record-tying goal had the entire Capitals team spilling onto the ice, followed by an extended celebration where Ovechkin took several laps, fist-bumped his son Sergei who was sitting on the glass, bowed to the suite where Gretzky was sitting and blew kisses to the crowd.

“You just can’t script this stuff,” Carbery said. “It’s right on brand for O; he has a flair for the dramatics.”

1,788 goals scored between these two or also 894 apiece#Gr8Chase pic.twitter.com/wYL0R3Ocjw

— x – Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 5, 2025

After the game, Blackhawks players stayed on the ice to do a handshake line with Ovechkin.

“Obviously very classy by the Hawks organization what they did tonight for ‘O’ and it’s as good as it gets,” Capitals winger Tom Wilson said. “We have more to look forward to hopefully, but this was an incredible night.”

The Eastern Conference-leading Capitals next play Sunday against the Islanders on Long Island, New York, one of six remaining regular-season games on their schedule.

When Ovechkin breaks the record, the NHL plans to stop the game and host a 7- to 10-minute ceremony featuring commissioner Gary Bettman, Ovechkin’s family, Gretzky and Capitals owner Ted Leonsis. There will be speeches and a video tribute. The same treatment was given to Gretzky 31 years ago when he broke Gordie Howe’s record, with Howe on hand. Bettman gave Gretzky a book with game sheets as a gift.

Ovechkin has scored in four consecutive games and has 41 goals this season, 10 coming on empty nets. He beat Knight 3:52 into the first period Friday, then scored his 894th on a power play with 13:47 left in the third. It proved to be his 136th game winner, breaking a tie with Jaromir Jagr for most ever.

There was an aura around Friday’s morning skate, where Ovechkin’s mood was lighthearted. The Capitals captain was often smiling and laughing, especially when he got off the ice and interacted with several of his former Stanley Cup-winning teammates — Nicklas Backstrom, TJ Oshie, Braden Holtby, Brooks Orpik, Devante Smith-Pelly — who were honored in a pregame ceremony later that night as part of the Capitals’ 50th anniversary season. Ovechkin also had a contingent of friends and family in town for Friday’s game, some who are staying at his house.

“Best shower of my life” pic.twitter.com/gsOM9EabrV

— x – Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 5, 2025

But the big guest was Gretzky, who flew in to see his record get broken. He had held the record for 11,334 days, since March 23, 1994.

“I’m so proud of the fact that I’m here tonight,” Gretzky said during media availability in the first intermission. “The commissioner and I talked the other day, and Alex said don’t come until I get to two. I thought yesterday, ‘Gosh we better get on the plane and get up there because he might get three tonight.’ When he scored four minutes in, I thought, ‘Oh my god, we might be able to leave after the first period.'”

Bettman has committed to following Ovechkin until he breaks the record, a journey that began Wednesday in Raleigh, North Carolina. Gretzky said he and his wife, Janet, will be in Long Island on Sunday.

Gretzky and Ovechkin had texted regularly in the days leading up to Friday’s game, and even FaceTimed. Ovechkin has spoken about how appreciative he is of Gretzky’s support — which to Gretzky, was a no-brainer.

“The integrity of the game,” Gretzky said. “When I was breaking Gordie Howe’s record, he was there. And I said two years ago that if Alex gets close to my record, I’ll be here. That’s the National Hockey League, Beliveau to Howe, Orr, Lemieux, Messier, you pass it down.”