WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — As Alex Ovechkin inches closer to the all-time goals record, he broke another one of Wayne Gretzky's milestones on Tuesday.
The Washington Capitals superstar passed Gretzky for the most 40-goal seasons in NHL history with 13 when he scored for the Washington Capitals against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
It's a record Ovechkin likely would have set sooner. He scored 32 goals in 48 games in 2012-13, but the season was shorter than usual because of a lockout.
And in 2020-21, he scored 24 goals in 45 games before the NHL scheduled was paused due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
If he's able to score 10 more goals in Washington's final 10 games, he will pass Gretzky and Mike Bossy for the most 50-goal seasons with 10.
As it stands, he's on pace to finish with only 46 goals after missing four games from Feb. 14-21 to return to Russia following the death of his father, Mikhail, who died at 71.
He also missed games on Jan. 21 and March 14 because of a lower-body injury.
Of course, the big record is well in sight. Gretzky is the NHL's all-time leader in goals with 894, and Ovechkin sits second with 820 after passing Gordie Howe earlier this season. Barring a catastrophe, it's a mark Ovechkin should hit before his 40th birthday.
"We look forward to him breaking that milestone," said Locked on Capitals host Dan Holmi. "The 2024-25 season, you'll want to be around your television or laptop when that happens."
It's been a disappointing season overall for a Capitals team that sits outside the NHL playoff picture, Holmi adds, but "Ovi continuing to crush it out there" is definitely something to keep an eye on.