ARLINGTON, Va. – Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has been named the NHL’s First Star for the week ending April 6, the NHL announced today.
Ovechkin, 39, scored five goals in four games to reach 895 career goals and break the NHL’s all-time goals record. Ovechkin, who recorded a total of six points (5g, 1a) during the week, scored in all four of the Capitals’games, including on April 6 against the New York Islanders to pass Wayne Gretzky (894) for the most goals in NHL history. Ovechkin broke Gretzky’s 31-year-old record in his 1,487th career game, the exact same number of games Gretzky finished his career with.
Ovechkin is riding a five-game goal streak (March 30 – April 6: 6g) and is the first player in NHL history to record multiple five-game goal streaks at age 39 or older (also 5 GP from Oct. 29 – Nov. 6, 2024: 6g). On April 4 versus the Chicago Blackhawks, Ovechkin scored his 893rd and 894th career goals to tie Gretzky for the goals record. With his first goal of the game, Ovechkin reached the 40-goal mark for the 14th time in 20 seasons, extending his NHL record (next closest: Gretzky, 12 40-goal seasons). Ovechkin’s second goal against Chicago was also his 136th career game-winning goal, moving him past Jaromir Jagr (135) for the most game-winning goals in NHL history.
Ovechkin has scored 42 goals in 61 games this season (0.69 G/GP) and 20 goals in his last 27 games. Ovechkin, who entered the season 42 goals shy of passing Gretzky, is on pace to finish with 45 goals. Should he reach the 45-goal mark, he would pass Gordie Howe (44g in 1968-69 at age 40) for the most goals in a season by a player age 39 or older. Ovechkin ranks fourth in the NHL in goals despite missing 16 games due to injury. Only Leon Draisaitl (52 goals, age 29), William Nylander (44 goals, age 28) and Tage Thompson (43 goals, age 27) have more. Per NHL Stats, Ovechkin is on track to become the fifth player in League history to lead his team in goals at age 39-plus and could become the second player in that age range to finish among the top 10 in the NHL in goals (Gordie Howe did so three times: 3rd in 1967-68 at age 40; 5th in 1968-69 at age 40; 7th in 1966-67 at age 39).
