The Washington Capitals took a moment Tuesday to honor Ovechkin for passing Gordie Howe for second on the NHL goals list earlier this season during a ceremony prior to a 7-6 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets at Capital One Arena.
"You don't want to lose a game, but tonight was a special day for me, for the whole organization, for fans," Ovechkin said. Unfortunately, we lost."
Ovechkin has 820 goals in his 18 NHL seasons, including his 40th of 2022-23 in the first period Tuesday. The 37-year-old left wing trails only Gretzky, who retired in 1999 after scoring 894 NHL goals.
Ovechkin scored his 801st and 802nd goals against the Winnipeg Jets on Dec. 23 to tie and pass Howe, who scored 801 goals during his 26 NHL seasons before retiring in 1980. Howe's 801 goals stood as the NHL record until Gretzky passed him by scoring No. 802 on March 23, 1994, with the Los Angeles Kings.
Howe, who died in 2016 when he was 88, was represented at the ceremony by his son Mark Howe, a Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman. Also on the ice for ceremony were Ovechkin's wife, Nastya, sons Sergei and Ilya, mother Tatyana and brother Mikhail, along with Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, team president Dick Patrick, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and NHL Players' Association assistant to the executive director Ron Hainsey.
"We're thrilled for him, and we're thrilled as a league to have him in our league and [he's] been one of the best players in the League for 17 years," Daly said. "I personally have been very fortunate that I've been down here for a lot of games during that time period and have been thrilled like thousands, hundreds of thousands of fans. So happy for him, happy for his family, happy for the Capitals organization, happy for the team and the city.
"I was telling Ron Hainsey on the ice before the game that Washington now is a lot different than Washington when 'Ovi' started here. Just looking out into the stands and the fan enthusiasm and all the seats being filled, they're in large part due to him."
Following the death of Ovechkin's father Mikhail on Feb. 15, his mother is visiting from Russia for the first time since Washington won the Stanley Cup in 2018.
"Her birthday was [Sunday] and yesterday we have a family dinner," Ovechkin said. "It's pretty cool. It's a pretty cool moment she's here. My brother is here, kids, wife. Yeah, it's a pretty cool moment."
To honor Ovechkin, the Capitals players each wore his No. 8 during warmups. Those jerseys will be autographed and auctioned by the Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation. Fans in attendance received an Ovechkin goal-counter bobblehead and could get their photos taken on a throne custom made with 802 pucks, a total that will be added to while he chases Gretzky's record.
The ceremony began with a video tribute on the scoreboard at center ice, narrated by Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom, featuring highlights of Gordie Howe's and Ovechkin's careers.
Among the gifts Ovechkin received was a special one from the NHLPA to add his vast collection of sticks: a stick signed by members of Soviet Union's 1974 Summit Series team that was presented to Gordie Howe when he played in that series for Canada. Ovechkin also received the puck from the first goal Howe scored in that series.
To commemorate Ovechkin's 800th goal, which he scored against the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 13, Daly presented Ovechkin with the Tiffany crystal on behalf of the NHL. On behalf of the Capitals, Patrick presented him with a stainless and bronze 800 goals trophy. Sergei and Ilya Ovechkin also received commemorative mini-bronze sticks.
To mark Ovechkin moving into second on the NHL goals list, his Capitals teammates gave him a custom-made necklace, and Ted Leonsis and Mark Howe presented him with a custom painting of Ovechkin and Gordie Howe.
"It's a beyond special night to start there and something that you'll remember forever and would've been nice to get the win, but I'm extremely happy for [Ovechkin], to see his family," Washington forward Tom Wilson said. "He's an amazing man and amazing hockey player. It's too bad we couldn't get the two points, but I'll remember this night for him, for his family, for the rest of my life."
