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Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals surpassed Wayne Gretzky as the NHL’s all-time scoring leader with his 895th goal against the New York Islanders on Sunday.
Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
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Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
For Alex Ovechkin, the goal in Sunday’s game came just like so many before it did — on the power play, from the top of the left faceoff circle, a powerful shot right to the goal.
But this one was history. For the Washington Capitals star, this 895th goal of his regular season career makes him the NHL’s new all-time scoring leader after Wayne Gretzky, the “Great One,” held the record for more than 30 years.
Washington’s game against the New York Islanders paused for a celebration as soon as Ovechkin scored. Both benches emptied as the teams, Capitals and Islanders alike, lined up to shake Ovechkin’s hand. And Gretzky joined Ovechkin on the ice, along with Ovechkin’s family and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, for a mid-game ceremony.
Ovechkin’s chase for Gretzky’s record had come to be the headliner story of the entire NHL season. Last Friday, he scored two goals to tie the record at home in Washington. Afterward, prices for tickets to Sunday’s game in New York had soared to $1,000 or more, as fans raced for the opportunity to see history.
