Alex Ovechkin tied Wayne Gretzky for the most goals in NHL history on Thursday with two tallies against the Chicago Blackhawks. That incredible achievement also doubled as another record-breaking moment.
Ovechkin’s 894th career goal put the Capitals up 4-3 over Chicago in the third period which was enough to clinch the eventual 5-3 victory. The goal most fans were focused on as part of the chase for Gretzky was also his 136th game-winning tally across his 20 seasons in the league. That passed Jaromir Jagr for the most in NHL history.
This was one list where Gretzky was practically nowhere to be found as Ovechkin made his final approach to the top. “The Great One” only recorded 91 game-winners in his career, good for 23rd on the all-time rankings.
| Player | Career game-winning goals |
|---|---|
| Alex Ovechkin | 136 |
| Jaromir Jagr | 135 |
| Gordie Howe | 121 |
| Phil Esposito | 118 |
| Brett Hull | 110 |
| Teemu Selanne | 110 |
| Brendan Shanahan | 109 |
| Patrick Marleau | 109 |
| Jarome Iginla | 98 |
| Guy Lafleur | 98 |
Ovechkin passed Gordie Howe for second-most on this list on October 22, 2022 with a power-play one-timer from his office against the New Jersey Devils. It was career goal No. 738, which now seems so far away.
He tied Jagr on Feb. 23 of this season as part of his 32nd career hat-trick. Ovechkin’s second goal against the Edmonton Oilers (career tally No. 881) put the Caps up 4-1 which was enough to hold on for the 7-3 win.
The Capitals have won 857 regular season games since Ovechkin’s debut in 2005. Because of his 136 game-winning goals, that means he has been directly responsible for nearly 16 percent of the franchise’s victories over the last 20 years.
After passing so many NHL legends, Ovechkin is in a league of his own. The next closest active player on the list is Sidney Crosby in 12th place with 97 game-winners to his name and counting.
