In front of a robust, lively, sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden, one of the most extraordinary and highly anticipated moments in sports history has finally happened. Alexander “The Great 8” Ovechkin celebrated a monumental achievement—one that was once considered a far-fetched dream, even by him—as he officially surpassed Wayne “The Great One” Gretzky to become the all-time leading goal scorer in NHL history with 895 goals.

As of late, Ovi has been on a colossal scoring run, currently sitting in third place on the leaderboard for most goals scored this season. He has scored in five straight games, has 27 goals in his last 27 outings, and netted two goals in his most recent appearance. Ovechkin shows no signs of slowing down—he’s on pace to reach 45 goals this regular season and now sits just five away from the astonishing 900-goal milestone. He turns 40 this year, broke his leg earlier this season, and still only missed 16 games. Unreal. Russians really are just built differently—so it comes as no surprise that Ovechkin continues to make the month of April one to remember.

April 6th should forever be recognized as “The Great 8 Holiday” in Washington. On this day in 2004, the Capitals won the draft lottery to acquire Alexander Ovechkin. Now, 21 years later, on the exact same day in 2025, Ovi has reached a milestone for the ages—scoring his 895th career goal and securing one of the greatest accomplishments in sports history. Even more poetic? He broke the all-time scoring record against the same New York franchise that Wayne Gretzky once dominated back in 1999.

Another mind-boggling stat: Ovechkin reached 895 goals in exactly the same number of games it took Gretzky to score 894.

• Alexander Ovechkin: 1,487 Games Played / 895 Goals
• Wayne Gretzky: 1,487 Games Played / 894 Goals

Though the Capitals were on the road in New York, it certainly felt like a home game for Washington. Caps fans filled the arena, and the atmosphere was electric. In a tremendous display of sportsmanship, Islanders fans gave Ovechkin a standing ovation during the ceremony—showing pure class and appreciation for “The Great 8.” Everyone involved—the rosters, coaching staffs, and front offices of both clubs—deserves praise for the respect and support shown during the heartfelt moment honoring Ovechkin.

Dante Robinson | Senior NHL Analyst for TheNSR Network