Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin adds another piece of hardware to his collection.
For years, Wayne Gretzky's record of 894 career NHL goals seemed unbreakable, but not to Washington Capitals superstar Alexander Ovechkin.
Ovechkin, 39, entered the 2024-25 season needing 42 goals to break Gretzky's record, but after a down season by his standards in 2023-24, there were some doubts that he would break it this year. The nine-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner made those doubters look silly, however, as he scored at a torrid pace to help the Capitals unexpectedly earn the top seed in the Eastern Conference. He scored the record-breaking goal against the New York Islanders on April 6, which instantly became an iconic moment in NHL and sports history.
The Russian forward has been showered with awards over the past few months, and now he adds another one to his collection.
Ovechkin won the award for "Best Record-Breaking Performance" at Wednesday night's ESPYs, beating out UConn women's basketball head coach Geno Auriema, Indiana Fever guard Caitling Clark and Kevin Durant's U.S. Basketball performance at last year's Olympics. Though he wasn't at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles to accept the award, he did share a pre-recorded acceptance speech with the audience.
“I just want to say a huge thanks to all the fans. Your support means everything to me and my family,” Ovechkin said in the video. “To my coaches, teammates and the entire Capitals organization, thank you for all your support. We accomplished something special this season and we did it together."
“A special thank you to Wayne Gretzky and his family for always being there for me. And to my wife, kids and my whole family, thank you for everything. See you soon guys. Take care.”
After such a legendary accomplishment, Ovechkin has virtually nothing left to prove. This could very well be his final NHL season, as he's entering the final year of his contract and has said multiple times he'd like to finish his playing career back home in Russia.
If this does end up being Ovechkin's final NHL season, though, fans should do everything they can to enjoy it while they can.
