Ovechkin is already the greatest goal-scorer of the 21st century, with a chance to become No. 1 in NHL history.
The Moscow native became the eighth member of the NHL's 700-goal club when he scored for the Washington Capitals against the New Jersey Devils on Feb. 22, 2020; at 34 years and 158 days, he joined all-time leader Wayne Gretzky (29 years, 342 days) as the only players to reach 700 goals before turning 35. He kept on scoring after reaching No. 700. Ovechkin won the Maurice Richard Trophy for the ninth time in 2019-20 after sharing the NHL lead in goals with David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins -- each scored 48.
His trademark one-timer from the top of the left circle is one of the most famous shots in NHL history. But at 6-foot-3, 236 pounds, Ovechkin is a combination of speed, skill and power the likes of which the NHL has rarely seen; he's one of the few big scorers in League history who also plays a physical game.
He also plays with a joy that few players in any sport can match.
"It doesn't matter where I play," Ovechkin said. "If coach says I must play goalie, I will play goalie."
Ovechkin, taken by Washington with the No. 1 pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, has spent his career making life miserable for opposing goalies. He had two goals for the Capitals against the Columbus Blue Jackets in his NHL debut Oct. 5, 2005, scored one of the most spectacular goals in NHL history against the Phoenix Coyotes on Jan. 16, 2006, and won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie after finishing his first season with 106 points (52 goals, 54 assists).
"Within a week or so we knew that we had a real special human being here," said Glen Hanlon, Ovechkin's first coach with the Capitals.
Ovechkin scored 46 goals in his second season, then scored 65, still the most in the 21st century, in 2007-08. Ovechkin also had 47 assists and led the NHL with 112 points, winning the Art Ross, Richard and Hart trophies and the Lester B. Pearson Award (now the Ted Lindsay Award).
The goals and awards kept coming. Ovechkin won the Richard and Hart trophies and Pearson Award again in 2008-09 after leading the NHL with 56 goals. By 2018-19, he had won the Richard Trophy (awarded to the NHL's top goal scorer) eight times and the Hart Trophy as League MVP three times, been a First-Team NHL All-Star eight times and reached the 50-goal mark eight times. He had also been voted to the 100 Greatest NHL Players in 2017.
On Jan. 11, 2017, Ovechkin scored twice against the Pittsburgh Penguins to reach and pass the 1,000-point mark, becoming the 84th NHL player to hit the milestone. He was also the fourth player from Russia or the Soviet Union to do so, after Sergei Fedorov, Alexander Mogilny and Alex Kovalev. He passed Fedorov, who he grew up admiring and played with early in his career with the Capitals, for the most NHL points by a Russia-born player with an assist on Feb. 5, 2019.
But perhaps the sweetest moment of Ovechkin's career came on June 7, 2018, when the Capitals defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final to win their first championship since entering the NHL in 1974. Not only was Ovechkin a Stanley Cup champion at last, he was voted winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after leading all players with 15 postseason goals.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- Olympic All-Star Team (2006)
- NHL All-Rookie Team (2006)
- NHL First All-Star Team (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2019)
- NHL Second All-Star Team (2011, 2013, 2014, 2016)
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2018)
