Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin Breaks NHL Record for 40-Goal Seasons

He stole the crown from Wayne Gretzky with his latest tally.

Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin notched his 40th goal of the 2022-23 NHL season Tuesday night against the Blue Jackets. In doing so, Washington’s captain set himself apart in league history, breaking the record for most 40-goal seasons ever. 

The record was previously held by the legendary Wayne Gretzky, who recorded 12 such seasons throughout his career with the Oilers, Kings, Blues and Rangers. Including Tuesday night’s tally, Ovechkin now has 13 seasons with at least 40 goals, having reached the mark in all but five of his 18 seasons in the league. 

The 37-year-old ranks eighth in the NHL with 40 goals this season, and he has 69 points on the year, which places him in the top 30 league-wide. 

NO PLAYER HAS TALLIED MORE 40-GOAL SEASONS IN NHL HISTORY THAN THE #GR8 #ALLCAPS | @LeidosInc pic.twitter.com/r1bAAiRQx3

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 21, 2023

Ovechkin has played 18 NHL seasons and ranks second all-time with 820 goals. He’s surpassed the 40-goal threshold in each of the [ast six seasons, excluding the shortened COVID-19 campaign in 2020, during which he scored 24 goals in 45 games.

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The Capitals star has led the league in scoring nine times and is rapidly approaching another long-standing Gretzky record. Gretzky is the NHL’s all-time leading scorer with 894 goals.

Washington has 10 games left on the regular-season slate, excluding Tuesday night’s tilt against Columbus, so the Russian could increase his goal-scoring tally further before the campaign ends.