About Alex Ovechkin Breaks NHL Scoring Record: Three Records That May Never Be Broken
For decades, Wayne Gretzky's almighty haul of 894 NHL goals looked like it would never be beaten. The Canadian superstar long reigned supreme over the rink, racking up Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers and setting records across the board that looked like they would never be touched. Admittedly, some will remain in place, but one will not.
That is of course the aforementioned goals record. The new holder of the honor is Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin, who slapped home the
895th goal of his stellar career in the recent 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Islanders. Despite the bruising defeat at the UBS Arena, it was the smaller number on that lopsided scoreline rather than the bigger one that was the most significant. The 39-year-old's strike was enough to etch his name into immortality and more goals are to be expected before his career at the top level is over.
His achievement was certainly enough to impress the bookies, as this tweet by Bodog clearly demonstrates!
https://x.com/bodogca/status/1908968220368998429?s=46&t=Jxc74bqcdlQ9Bjed4TR1Jw
The Russian superstar's contract expires at the end of next season, and the expectation is that he will put some clear air between his goal-scoring tally and that of Gretzky's. He still has some way to go to match the Great One's haul of Stanley Cups, but online betting sites think that even that gap could narrow in the coming years. Despite the 4-1 defeat to the Islanders, websites accepting
hockey bets still make the Ovi and the Capitals a +1000 fifth favorite for the championship this season, only behind the Stars, reigning champion Panthers, Avalanche, and Oilers. If you’re thinking of placing a hockey bet, he’s certainly a star you might consider backing.
But while Gretzky's goalscoring record may well be consigned to the history books, some NHL records may never be broken. Here are three of them.
Wayne Gretzky’s 2,857 Career Points
While Wayne Gretzky’s goal tally may be at the top no more, his overall points-scoring record isn’t just untouchable; it feels almost inhuman. Over a 20-season career,
The Great One tallied 894 goals and an otherworldly 1,963 assists, reaching a total of 2,857 points. To put that into perspective, Gretzky's assists alone would still make him the league's all-time points leader.
What makes this so remarkable is the era in which Gretzky played. His dominance came at a time when high-scoring games were the norm, due in part to goaltending styles and defensive systems that hadn't yet caught up to today’s standards. While modern players like Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby are dazzling talents, the league today is faster, more physical, and dominated by airtight defenses and netminders.
Let's take a look at Ovi. Yes, he now has the goals record, but he still stands a whopping 1,166 behind Gretzky in terms of points. What about the aforementioned Crosby? Well, he's a little closer with 1,682, but still well over a thousand behind. And what's even more impressive on Gretzky's part, all three players have played in the league the exact same amount of years, 20 to be exact.
The closest anyone has come to matching the record is Jaromir Jagr. The Czech sensation amassed 1,921 points throughout his 18-year career, good enough for second
overall all-time. But that haul is still 936 short of The Great One.
Glenn Hall’s 502 Consecutive Games
Goaltenders are often called the backbone of a team, but Glenn Hall might as well have been the spine, nerves, and everything in between. For seven straight years between 1955 and 1962, the iconic shot-stopper started 502 consecutive games between the pipes, firstly for the Chicago Blackhawks and then for the Detroit Red Wings. His ironman streak feels downright superhuman by modern standards, and it led him to the Stanley Cup in 1961, where his Motor City side defeated his former Windy City one.
To grasp the magnitude of this feat, consider what playing goalie entails. It’s a grueling position, physically and mentally, with players constantly throwing themselves in front of vulcanized rubber pucks zipping toward the net at over 90 miles per hour. And this was the pre-mask era! Hall stood tall in the crease without the facial protection that is universal today, enduring every bruise and bloody nose imaginable, and he did so for seven straight years.
Compare that to today's reality, where backup goaltenders see significant action to keep starters fresh over an 82-game season and playoffs. The idea of one goalie enduring 502 consecutive starts feels about as realistic as spotting a unicorn skating at center ice, and for that reason, Hall's name will surely live on forever.
Martin Brodeur’s 125 Career Shutouts
Martin Brodeur didn’t just win games during his legendary career; he blanked opponents at a rate that’s hard to comprehend. Over 22 seasons, he recorded 125 shutouts, a number that seems utterly unassailable. The closest active goaltender, Marc-André Fleury, has tallied 74 shutouts, and at age 38, the odds of him sniffing Brodeur’s record are slim at best.
The reasons the former Stanley Cup winner's record is so safe boil down to longevity, talent, and opportunity. Across more than two decades, he consistently backstopped defensive juggernauts in all shapes and sizes.
But more than systems, the two-time Olympic Gold Medalist was a master technician. He read the play several steps ahead, made incredible saves, and even revolutionized puck-handling for goalies. His ability to completely stymie opposing offenses will likely never be matched.
