When Ovechkin breaks Gretzky's last goal record
Alexander Ovechkin started his 22nd season in the NHL. During the current regular season, Ovechkin will beat Gretzky's record for the absolute number of goals. When to wait for a new record from Ovechkin - in the material "RBC Sport"
Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin began his 22nd season in the NHL. In the summer he signed with the club until the end of the season.
There is a high probability that the Russian in this period will surpass the absolute record of the NHL in goals (including the playoffs), which belongs to Wayne Gretzky (1016). He is currently 11 goals away from that achievement.
Ovechkin has never scored less than 30 goals in a full regular season. Experts and bookmakers expect that the Russian this season will not fall below the mark of 30 goals per season, but is unlikely to exceed the bar of 35 goals due to the retirement age for hockey (41 years). And Ovechkin himself has repeatedly said that from year to year it is more difficult. Only Gordie Howe at 41 showed similar performance.
The authoritative The Hockey News believes that Ovechkin will score 31 goals and make 30 assists. With restrained forecasts, the Russian will break the record in the second half of December in the absence of an abundance of missed games.
Former NHL defender and world champion in the Russian national team Daniil Markov on the YouTube channel “This is hockey, brother” expressed the opinion that Ovechkin will break the record on December 25. Ex-coach of the Russian national team Ilya Vorobyov also believes that the record will be broken for the New Year.
However, with a good start, he will be able to break the record in mid-November. The performance of the Washington captain will largely depend on the team, as the last three seasons have demonstrated.
For example, in the second half of 2023, during the period of perestroika, Ovechkin did not score 10 goals for October-December, but then, together with partners, he issued a phenomenal ending. If the first half of the 2023/24 season is repeated, Gretzky’s record will not be broken until the end of January 2026.
Washington coach Spencer Carbury urged not to focus on the age of the Russian. "He can still defy circumstances and be very productive," the coach said. He will continue to be the leader he has been throughout his career as our captain.
