How far is Alex Ovechkin from Wayne Gretzky’s goals record at the start of the 2024-25 NHL season?

Alex Ovechkin is unquestionably one of the greatest hockey players to ever play in the NHL, and whenever he decides to call it a career, he’ll be celebrated and revered as such.

Although the Washington Capitals forward just turned 39, retirement doesn’t seem too near in the future. And that give him a chance to try to catch Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record of 894 career goals.

Going into the 2024-25 NHL season, Ovechkin has 853 career goals, which puts him in second behind the Great One. Washington’s captain needs 41 goals to tie Gretzky and 42 to break the record and stand alone.

That’s a tall order for one season, and especially from an aging superstar, but it’s still possible — especially if Ovechkin starts the season out hot in his office.

In Ovechkin’s previous 19 seasons in the NHL, he’s scored 42 goals or more 13 times, most recently scoring 42 in the 2022-23 season. At most, Ovechkin scored 65 goals in the 2007-08 season, but he tallied 31 last season.

Scoring 42 this season won’t be easy, but if Ovechkin plays a couple more seasons, Gretzky’s record will likely be his at some point regardless.

The Washington Captials’ season starts October 12 at home against the New Jersey Devils, and Ovechkin will return to trying to catch Gretzky’s mark.