The countdown is on with Alex Ovechkin just 13 goals from overtaking Wayne Gretzky as the NHL’s career goal leader – a mark that once seemed unsurmountable and earned Gretzky the nickname The Great One.
The Great Eight, as the Washington Capital is sometimes called, began the season 41 goals behind Gretzky’s 894. But, perhaps, numbers fall short of conveying how dominant the two players’ careers have been.
From goals to points, our series of charts below — based on NHL and Hockey Reference data — show the gulf that Gretzky and Ovechkin have created between themselves and their contemporaries as they solidified their positions as two of the league’s greats.
Three NHL players scored more than 800 goals in their careers
It’s interesting to note in the chart below, how one player has stood out from others of their generations since the 1950s when Maurice Richard became the NHL’s first 400-goal scorer — and later first 500-goal scorer. A couple decades later Gordie Howe finished his 33-year career with 801 goals.
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So how did Gretzky and Ovechkin get there?
Combine consistent all-star play with health and longevity, and their career milestones became more plausible. Gretzky lost a large portion of his 1992-93 season to a back injury, while Ovechkin lost 16 games this year to a broken leg. Otherwise, both stayed on the ice during the prime of their careers.
How many goals does Ovechkin have in his career
Both Ovechkin and Gretzky averaged about 49 goals per season, but some might say Ovechkin is still in the prime of his career, considering the relatively consistent trajectory of his scoring.
So who is better, Gretzky or Ovechkin? Here are a few more points to help you decide.
Whether it’s Jordan vs. LeBron or Brady vs. Mahomes, comparisons between great players of different eras can often be a fool’s errand. That said, a couple key differences in the eras:
Goalies’ gear covers more of the goal today
Only a few years separate Ovechkin and Gretzky, but like any other sport, hockey equipment evolved during these four-plus decades. Consider how different goalies’ pads and mitts were, below, during Gretzky’s and Ovechkin’s first seasons. To be fair, goalies wore more modern-day uniforms in Gretzky’s final seasons, and two years before Ovechkin entered the NHL, the length of goalie pads was limited to 38 inches.
NHL scoring at its highest levels in Gretzky era
Some will argue that Ovechkin is a greater goal scorer because scoring has become more challenging. Gretzky’s early years were played when the NHL averaged the highest average points per game. Of 25 players who scored 65 goals or more in a season, 19 were in Gretzky’s era. That includes four seasons where Gretzky scored 71 or more. Ovechkin tallied 65 once.
Gretzky has conceded that he may soon lose his scoring title in the coming months.
‘It’s just a matter of time, whether it’s late this year, early next year, whenever,’ Gretzky said about his record this past fall, according to the NHL. ‘I mean, he’s a great player. He’s a great goal scorer.’
But the measure of a great hockey player isn’t only how many goals they rack up. Consider how Ovechkin compares to his contemporaries on career points – goals and assists added together.
How many career points has Ovechkin earned
In his 20 years in the NHL, Gretzky’s play contributed to more goals for his teams than any player by far. In addition to leading the league in goals five times, he led the NHL in assists 16 times, leading to a career points record that may never be eclipsed.
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby joined the NHL in the 2005-06 season with Ovechkin. Crosby has assisted on nearly 50% more goals than Ovechkin has, putting him dozens of points ahead. Below, the top 50 players in career points. Only four have played this season:
How old is Alex Ovechkin and other milestones
Should Ovechkin run out of regular-season games this year, he’ll turn 40 in September with one more year on his current Capitals’ contract. In addition to the career goal record, he’ll have more chances to pile up career statistics. A couple of them:
Points: Ovechkin overtook Phil Esposito’s career points mark of 1,590 in early February, putting him 11th (1,593) in the category. Joe Sakic, 10th in points at 1,641, could be within reach next season.
Goalies scored on: Ovechkin already leads in this category with 179 goalies in his 20 years. Less than 9% of those who have played in the league have even scored 179 or more goals.
How many goals does Ovechkin have this year
How many empty net goals has Ovechkin made
After returning from his broken leg in late December, Ovechkin scored his 17th goal of the season in his first game back, collecting his 62nd empty-net goal of his career. He scored his 64th empty-netter Sunday.
Empty-net goals are a perk of playing for one of the top teams in the NHL for several years, and Ovechkin has taken advantage of empty nets more often than any player in league history, according to Statmuse. He topped Gretzky’s 56 empty netters last season when he tallied three.
Rounding the top five of empty-net goal scorers, according to Statmuse: Marian Hossa, 40, Brad Marchand, 38, and Sidney Crosby, 36.