TNT announced on Tuesday that Alex Ovechkin’s record-breaking game against the New York Islanders was heavily watched on national TV.
According to TNT Sports, 1.3 million fans tuned in to see Ovechkin score his 895th career goal and become the new NHL goals king. The game averaged 905k viewers nationally, marking the most watched non-Winter Classic regular-season game on TNT Sports networks… ever.
The channel managed to draw this viewership too, with fans in the Washington DC area being able to tune in locally on Monumental Sports Network.
Sunday’s Capitals-Islanders game featured a 22-minute pause during the second period for the NHL to hold an on-ice ceremony for Ovechkin featuring the former goals king, Wayne Gretzky, and league commissioner Gary Bettman. While Ovi’s tally was exciting, the game was mostly dreary. The defensive-minded Islanders held a clinic, defeating the Capitals 4-1 and holding them to little offense.
TNT’s most recent big draw was its presentation of the 2025 Winter Classic between the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks. The outdoor game averaged 920k viewers and peaked at 1.2 million — about the same numbers as Ovi’s big day.
