For decades, former Canadian-American ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky’s 894 regular-season career goals stood like a mountain no one dared to climb, let alone reach the summit. But on April 6, Russian ice hockey player Alex Ovechkin did just that. With a thunderous goal against the New York Islanders, he didn’t just make history, he left it behind. With goal No. 895, he cemented his status as the greatest goal scorer the National Hockey League (NHL) has ever seen. 

But this wasn’t just one moment. This was the culmination of a two-decade journey, a story that began in 2005 when a young Russian winger burst onto the NHL scene with a momentous rookie season.

When Washington received the No. 1 overall pick on April 6, 2004, there was no question on which player would lead the Capitals franchise – Number 8#, Alex Ovechkin. 

Ovechkin arrived in Washington, D.C., with the weight of a franchise on his shoulders. In his very first NHL game, he scored twice, a glimpse into what the next 20 years would look like for him. By the end of that 2005-2006 season, he had racked up 52 goals and 102 points, winning the Rookie of the Year award and alerting the league that a superstar was in the making. 

With the pressure of improving on an already unbelievable rookie season, Ovechkin refused to slow down; he sped up. Year after year, he filled the highlight reels with seemingly impossible-angle goals, powerful one-timers, and electric celebrations.

While it seemed like others would fade at some point, Ovechkin remained consistent: a goal-scoring machine in an era that wasn’t kind to offense. He became the first player in NHL history to record nine 50-goal seasons, a testament not just to his talent but to his longevity and endurance. 

Yet, after all those goals and unforgettable moments, critics still questioned one aspect of his greatness: his inability to “win.” A common refrain among them being statements like “he doesn’t win enough,” and “he’s all stats, no Cups.” Granted, the last time the Capitals reached a final was in 1998. That narrative followed him for over a decade – until 2018.

The 2017-2018 season was different from the beginning. Ovechkin opened the year with back-to-back hat tricks and never looked back, finishing with 49 goals and another Rocket Richard Trophy (the award for the most goals in a season). 

But apart from the numbers, there was a change in his approach; he was more focused, determined, and dialed in. The Capitals, written off by many after years of playoff failure, began to play with a quiet confidence and reached the playoffs with ease.  

After rolling through Columbus and finally slaying their long-time rivals in Pittsburgh, the Capitals found themselves in a grueling seven-game series with Tampa Bay Lighting. 

The series swung back and forth, and by Game 7, it was all tied up. But Washington won when it mattered most, beating the Bolts and punching their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final. There, they faced the upstart against the Vegas Golden Knights, a team coming off a historic inaugural regular season.  

But the Caps made quick work of them. In five games, Washington closed it out, and all doubts were silenced. The Washington Capitals finally broke through, and Ovechkin led the charge. He scored 15 goals in the playoffs, including crucial scores in every single series. 

When the final buzzer sounded in Las Vegas and Ovechkin lifted the Stanley Cup for the first time, it wasn’t just a personal triumph – it was vindication for the critics, for the fans, and for a captain who had carried the weight of a franchise for 13 straight years. 

With the Cup in hand and his critics silenced, Ovechkin could’ve coasted, already being cemented as one of the best NHL players ever. He could’ve let the numbers pile up quietly and walked into the Hall of Fame with ease. 

But not for him. Instead, he doubled down – he was determined. Each season, through injury, aging legs and evolving defenses, Ovechkin still kept scoring. Whether it was a 35-goal season in his late 30s or a 50-goal resurgence at 36, he never stopped. 

Every goal brought him closer to Gretzky, once an unreachable goal, now a target in sight. The Chase became its own story, and hockey fans everywhere watched his story unfold in real time. His last goal was a signature one-timer from the left faceoff circle from ‘his office’ goal 895 was in the books. Ovechkin completed The Gr8 Chase: A journey that started with hype has ended with an unmatched legacy. 

                                                                                                                                                      By Geordie Springsteen