At 852 goals, Alex Ovechkin sits only 43 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s once insurmountable career goal scoring record. Upon reaching his 30th goal of the season, for the 18th time in his career, Ovechkin was able to accomplish another illustrious scoring record, standing alone with the most 30-goal seasons in NHL history. Ovechkin had only a meager 8 goals just past the halfway point of the season, and since returned to form with 22 goals in his past 33 games. His torrid scoring streak could not come at a better time, with the Capitals firmly in the mix for one of the final Eastern Conference playoff spots, a feat that seemed unimaginable amid the team’s and Ovechkin’s early-season struggles.
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The previous record for 30-goal seasons was set by Hockey Hall of Famer Mike Gartner, who reached the 30 goal mark in 17 of his 19 NHL seasons. A fellow Capital, Gartner was traded midway through his 10th season in Washington, where he began his NHL career after being chosen fourth overall in the illustrious 1979 Draft. Gartner had his jersey retired by the Capitals in 2008, as his number 11 was the fourth and most recent to be retired by the franchise. Gartner is the only Capitals forward to have his jersey in the rafters, and Ovechkin will certainly be the second. All previous honorees Yvon Labre, Rod Langway, and Dale Hunter all starred on the blue line in Washington.
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