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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin Turned Down Chance at Record

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin turned down a chance to secure the NHL's all-time goals record for the most competitive reason.

Jacob Punturi

Apr 4, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) holds up the puck representing his 894th career goal in the locker room after the game against the Chicago Blackhawks at Capital One Arena. Ovechkin scored the 893rd and 894th goals of his career, tying Wayne Gretzky for most all-time goals in the NHL. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Apr 4, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) holds up the puck representing his 894th career goal in the locker room after the game against the Chicago Blackhawks at Capital One Arena. Ovechkin scored the 893rd and 894th goals of his career, tying Wayne Gretzky for most all-time goals in the NHL. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin tied the great Wayne Gretzky's NHL goal scoring record. The two legends of the game sit at 894 career goals, with Ovi needing just one to set a new league record. It was a banner night for Ovechkin, who also set the record for most game-winning goals in NHL history.

The two-goal game from the Capitals captain made history, but he had the chance to sit alone in the record book. With the Caps leading 4-3 late in the third period against the Chicago Blackhawks, Capitals Head Coach, Spencer Carbery, wanted to send Ovi out with an empty net.

Instead of taking the freebie and becoming the new goal scoring leader, Ovechkin acted like the intense competitor he is. He turned down the coach's offer, opting to achieve the historic goal against a net minder. The broadcast team from Monumental Sports pointed out the conversation from the bench near the end of the game.

"Did we just see him say no to Carbery," the broadcaster asked. "He went back on the bench. He gave a wave of the head that looked like, 'no, no.' Maybe Spencer wanted to put him on, and Ovechkin may have said no there."

Thankfully, Ovi won't have to wait long for his next opportunity. The Capitals take on the New York Islanders in a Metropolitan Division matchup. The Islanders are struggling as the regular season winds down, and the Caps are fine tuning as they approach the postseason.

The 39-year-old Ovechkin is tearing up the NHL this season. Despite being one of the elder statesman in the league, he's still one of the best goal scorers. His recent multi-goal game increased his season totals to 41 goals, ranking third in the league behind Toronto Maple Leafs star William Nylander and Edmonton Oilers phenom Leon Draisaitl.

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Jacob Punturi
JACOB PUNTURI

Jacob is a featured writer covering the Pittsburgh Steelers for Steelers On SI and the NHL for Breakaway On SI. He also co-hosts the All Steelers Talk podcast. Previous work covering the NHL for Inside the Penguins and The Hockey News.

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