Washington Capitals

Alexander Ovechkin has put together one of the most distinguished careers in NHL history, and he added another milestone to his collection Friday.

The 37-year-old scored his 801st and 802nd career goals during the Washington Capitals' 4-1 home win against the Winnipeg Jets at Capital One Arena, tying and then passing the legendary Gordie Howe for second on the NHL's all-time scoring list.

Ovechkin gave the Caps a 1-0 lead with a snap shot at the top of the right faceoff circle in the first period before adding an empty-netter late in the third to grab second place by himself and cap the evening's scoring.

Ovechkin now trails only Wayne Gretzky, who scored 894 goals in his career. Gretzky is also the all-time leader in assists with 1,963, over 700 more than the next-closest player in the category, Ron Francis (1,249).

Ovechkin won't be getting anywhere near either player in that category, with just 649 in his career.

As for whether he might catch Gretzky in goals, it's still a possibility. He's under contract with the Capitals through the 2025-26 season and has scored 46 or more goals in a campaign 12 times in his career, including 50 last year and 20 through 35 games this season heading into Friday.

It isn't out of the question that Ovechkin might catch Gretzky during his current contract. Granted, at some point, the Russian is going to slow down. And he may simply choose to retire before mounting a serious push for the all-time goals record.

One thing is for certain: If he does catch the Great One, that will be all she wrote for Ovechkin's career.

"You're probably never going to see me on the ice again," he joked during an ESPN interview in 2019 when asked what he would do if he surpassed Gretzky's record (h/t NHL.com). "Right away. See ya."

After becoming the third player in NHL history to score at least 800 career goals, Alex Ovechkin is marketing his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky.

Per ESPN's Emily Kaplan, the Washington Capitals star has trademarked "THE GR8 CHASE" as he goes after the NHL's all-time goals scored record.

Kaplan noted the first phase of Ovechkin's "THE GR8 CHASE" merchandise will be available to fans during Thursday's home game against the Dallas Stars.

"Ovechkin's family was heavily involved in the creation of the logo, as well as the trademark name," Kaplan wrote. "'THE GR8 CHASE' is a triple entendre, alluding to Ovechkin's nickname ('The Great Eight'), Gretzky's nickname ('The Great One') and Ovechkin's chase of history."

Ovechkin's hat trick in Tuesday's 7-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks gave him 800 for his storied career.

Gretzky (894 goals) and Gordie Howe (801) are the only players ahead of Ovechkin on the all-time scoring list. He hit the 800-goal mark in 1,305 career games, while Gretzky scored his 800th in his 1,116th game.

If Ovechkin continues at his career pace, he could surpass Gretzky during the 2024-25 season. He signed a five-year contract extension with the Capitals in July 2021 that runs through the 2025-26 campaign.

Washington Capitals superstar winger Alexander Ovechkin joined an exclusive group Tuesday night, scoring his 800th career NHL goal.

The historic goal came in the third period of a 7-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, and it also completed a hat trick for the 37-year-old veteran:

Ovechkin is now one of only three players in NHL history to score at least 800 career goals, joining Wayne Gretzky (894) and Gordie Howe (801).

Per ESPN's Kristen Shilton, Ovechkin appeared on SportsCenter after the game and suggested he was relieved to reach the milestone: "It's a special night. To get two goals right away, I could feel the game. I'm really proud that it's over. Now, we can move on and focus on the next one."

Ovechkin also gave a speech in the locker room, telling his teammates: "This ... it's huge. It's huge for hockey, it's huge for the organization. And to do it with you guys, it's special."

The Russian star's 800th career goal also gave him 20 on the season and made him only the third player in NHL history to score 20 or more goals in at least 18 consecutive seasons.

Aside from the COVID-19-shortened season of 2020-21, Ovechkin has never scored fewer than 32 goals in a single season in his career.

Ovechkin is on pace to score nearly 53 goals this season if he plays in every game, which would give him his second consecutive 50-goal season and the 10th such season of his illustrious career.

It was long thought that no player would ever come close to touching Gretzky's career goals record, but now it feels almost inevitable that Ovechkin will be the one to break it.

Despite being in the midst of his 18th NHL season, Ovechkin isn't slowing down at all, and he is in the mix to potentially lead the league in goals for the 10th time in his career.

Ovechkin has already done it all with nine Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophies (leading goal scorer), three Hart Memorial Trophies (MVP), one Art Ross Trophy (leading point scorer), one Calder Memorial Trophy (Rookie of the Year), one Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP) and one Stanley Cup to his credit.

However, scoring 800 goals is one of his biggest accomplishments yet, and it may not be long before he cements himself as the greatest goal scorer in NHL history.

Washington Capitals superstar winger Alexander Ovechkin made history Tuesday night, breaking the NHL record for most career goals scored on the road.

According to ESPN, Ovechkin scored twice in a 5-1 road win against the Vancouver Canucks, giving him the 402nd and 403rd road goals of his career and surpassing the record previously held by legendary Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky.

Regarding the new mark, Ovechkin said: "It's always nice when you beat The Great One. It doesn't matter what kind of milestone it is. It's history."

The 37-year-old Ovechkin moved into third place on the NHL's all-time goals list last season, and he continues to inch closer to Gordie Howe for second.

Ovechkin's two goals Tuesday gave him 793, putting him just eight behind Howe.

On Nov. 5, Ovechkin set a record at Howe's expense, scoring his 787th career goal with the same team. Howe previously held the record with 786 goals scored as a member of the Detroit Red Wings.

The two goals against Vancouver also inched Ovechkin ever closer to Gretzky's all-time goal-scoring record of 894, which was set during a historic 20-year NHL career with the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers.

While Gretzky's goal record once seemed unbreakable, it is appearing more and more likely that Ovechkin will pass him and perhaps reach the 900-goal mark.

Despite closing in on age 40 and having been an NHL player for 18 seasons, the Russian star is showing no signs of slowing down.

Just last season, Ovechkin recorded the ninth 50-goal season of his career, and his 90 points were the most he had since the 2009-10 season.

In 24 games this season, Ovechkin is producing at nearly a point-per-game pace with 13 goals and 10 assists for 23 points.

At that rate, Ovechkin is slated to finish with over 40 goals this season, which would put him well over 800 for his career and within striking distance of Gretzky in the next couple of years.

The all-time goals mark is likely the primary focus for the future Hall of Famer as far as records go, but the fact that Ovechkin is routinely surpassing Gretzky and Howe in the record books speaks to how special his career has been already.

Zdeno Chara's 25-year NHL career will come to an end Tuesday.

Chara announced on Instagram he will sign a one-day contract with the Boston Bruins to officially retire with the team he spent the bulk of his career playing for.

Amid speculation about his future early in the offseason, Chara's agent, Matt Keator, told Matt Porter of the Boston Globe in June the 45-year-old was "going to take the summer with his family and assess where he's at physically, where his family's at, and make a decision in September."

A third-round draft pick by the New York Islanders in 1996, Chara made his NHL debut in 1997. He played for four different teams: the Islanders, Ottawa Senators, Bruins and Washington Capitals.

Chara was one of the best defensemen of his era. He made six All-Star appearances from 2003 to 2012, won the Norris Trophy in 2009 and won a Stanley Cup title with the Bruins in 2011.

After he spent 14 seasons in Boston from 2006 to 2020, the team informed him in his last year that he would not be re-signed. Chara decided to continue his playing career by signing a one-year contract with the Capitals.

However, he wasn't much of a factor with 10 points in 55 games. It was his lowest-scoring season since putting up nine points in 2000-01 with the Islanders.

The Isles brought Chara back on a one-year deal for the 2021-22 season.

Chara was named to the NHL's All-Decade second team for the 2010s. Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic wrote this about the Slovakian star when he was named to the outlet's All-Decade squad:

"His career high of 52 points did come in 2011-12, but that's not what puts Chara in this elite company. It was his innate ability to completely shut down opponents using his long stick, smart positioning and knowing how to toe the line. He was a problem other teams had to solve, and it led to the Bruins scoring 57 percent of the 5-on-5 goals while he was on the ice in the 2010's, a mark unmatched by any of the other five defenders listed here."

Chara's history as a defenseman who is capable of scoring made him an intimidating presence on the ice for more than two decades. He will almost certainly be inducted into the Hall of Fame as soon as he is eligible.

The Washington Capitals announced Thursday they've promoted Emily Engel-Natzke to the role of video coordinator, making her the first woman to serve as a full-time member of an NHL coaching staff.

Engel-Natzke previously filled the same role with the Hershey Bears, the Caps' AHL affiliate. She discussed her place in hockey history with Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press:

"It's kind of surreal. I've never kind of really looked at myself in that lens, and I think if you may have asked me a week ago, I wouldn't have wanted it to be a big deal. But with everything that's going on kind of geopolitically, I think I'm more so just honored to be, I guess, the first. Hopefully that just opens the door even further for people who want to get into this job and this profession."

Engel-Natzke played hockey at Adrian College and started her coaching career at the University of Wisconsin in 2015, working for the Badgers' men's and women's hockey teams as a video coordinator. She's also worked for U.S. Hockey's youth national teams and the senior women's team at the 2019 World Championships.

She joined the Capitals organization with the Bears ahead of the 2020-21 season. Her performance with the minor league affiliate, which posted the AHL's best record in her first year, gave the front office confidence she was ready to join the NHL staff.

"We are extremely pleased to name Emily as our new video coordinator," general manager Brian MacLellan said. "Emily's work ethic, skill set, and passion were displayed in her tenure with the Hershey Bears, and we feel she is ready and deserving of this opportunity. She will be a tremendous asset to our coaching staff."

The 31-year-old Colorado native also received praise from Caps head coach Peter Laviolette, per Whyno:

"This was earned and deserved. We feel like we hired really a qualified person that we brought into the organization two years ago and came in and did an outstanding job, and that's what development is all about. For me, we got the best person and that's the most important thing."

Engel-Natzke joins Chicago Blackhawks assistant GM Meghan Hunter and New Jersey Devils director of player development Meghan Duggan as women who've recently been promoted to high-profile roles within NHL organizations.

Engel-Natzke told Whyno:

"It's been really encouraging that you're seeing women in different roles, whether it's in coaching, whether it's in management, athletic training and equipment management. Hopefully the door just keeps opening a little bit more and I hope in a couple years it's not as big of a deal—it's kind of just another hire."

Washington, led by superstar winger Alex Ovechkin, has reached the playoffs in eight straight seasons, highlighted by winning the 2018 Stanley Cup title.

The 2022-23 NHL season is scheduled to get underway Oct. 11.

Washington Capitals superstar winger Alex Ovechkin is listed as day-to-day after suffering an upper-body injury during Sunday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.  

Ovechkin suffered the injury when he took a hard fall in the third period:

The 36-year-old Ovechkin is one of the greatest goal scorers in NHL history, and he is in the midst of another spectacular season with 90 points on 50 goals and 40 assists.

Ovechkin is the most accomplished Russian player in NHL history, and few current players can come close to matching his resume.

In addition to receiving his 12th career All-Star selection this season, Ovechkin is a three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner as NHL MVP, nine-time Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy winner as the league's leading goal scorer, one-time Art Ross Trophy winner as the NHL's leading point scorer and the winner of the 2006 Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year.

Ovechkin also led the Caps to a Stanley Cup win in 2018, and he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as postseason MVP that year as well.

Additionally, Ovechkin is third on the NHL's all-time goal-scoring list with 780, placing him behind only Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe.

Given Ovechkin's pure volume of shots on goal and goals, he is essentially an impossible player to replace when he is out.

It will take a group effort to make up for a potential Ovechkin absence with forwards Evgeny Kuznetsov, Tom Wilson, Conor Sheary and Lars Eller, as well as defensemen John Carlson and Dmitry Orlov all needing to step up offensively.

Even with Ovechkin in the lineup, the Capitals have had something of an up-and-down season.

They only have the eighth-most points in the Eastern Conference with 100, meaning they are a playoff team but haven't truly established themselves as Stanley Cup contenders.

Being without Ovechkin would make it all the more difficult to challenge for a title as well.