Alex Ovechkin becomes 10th player with eight 40-goal seasons

Alex Ovechkin became the 10th player in NHL history with eight 40-goal seasons on Friday.

Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin became the 10th player in NHL history with eight 40-goal seasons on Friday.

Ovechkin, whose third period goal tied Friday’s eventual 3–2 win over the Minnesota Wild, is also just the seventh player in league history to score 40 or more goals in eight of his first 11 seasons.

Ovechkin, 30, joins Bobby Hull and Phil Esposito as the only NHL players to reach the 40-goal mark first in at least six different seasons.

In 11 NHL campaigns, Ovechkin has 953 points on 515 goals and 438 assists. The top pick in the 2004 draft is a three-time league MVP.

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Washington’s win Friday improved its record to 45–11–4, equaling the team’s win total from last season with 22 games left this year.​