WASHINGTON – Alex Ovechkin has made history once again, becoming the first player in NHL history to score 900 career goals. The Washington Capitals captain reached the milestone on Wednesday night during a dominant 6-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues.
Ovechkin’s record-setting goal came 2:39 into the second period, when he backhanded a rebound past St. Louis goalie Jordan Binnington. The 40-year-old’s teammates poured onto the ice to celebrate the unprecedented achievement, while Binnington tucked the milestone puck away for safekeeping.
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Speaking after the game, Ovechkin said, “It’s a huge number — no one ever did it in NHL history — and to be the first player to ever do it, it’s a special moment. It’s nice it happened at home so my family and the fans could be here.”
The Russian forward broke Wayne Gretzky’s long-standing career record of 895 goals in April. Ovechkin had entered this season needing just three more to reach 900, finally doing so after ending a brief scoring drought earlier this month.
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Ovechkin, who has won three MVP awards and led the NHL in goals nine times, is in the final year of his contract. While 1,000 goals may be out of reach, his teammates say the veteran continues to defy expectations. “He just finds a way to prove people wrong every time,” said teammate T.J. Oshie.