Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored his 700th regular-season NHL goal on February 22 against the New Jersey Devils. In typical Great Eight style, he beat goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood with a slap shot from the faceoff circle, assisted by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nick Jensen.The Capitals bench poured onto the ice to briefly celebrate with their captain before play resumed.
Ovechkin is only the eighth player in NHL history to reach the milestone. He now joins the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, and Jaromír Jágr as one of the most productive goal scorers in the history of professional hockey.
The last player to reach 700 goals was Jágr, who did so in 2014, the 20th season of his NHL career. Ovechkin is in his 15th season and reached the milestone in 1,144 games. This makes him the second-fastest player in NHL history to do so.
Ovechkin was drafted first overall by the Capitals in 2004 and has played with the team for the entire duration of his NHL career, during which he has earned one Stanley Cup, 11 NHL All-Star Game invitations, and eight Rocket Richard trophies. He’s also represented Team Russia throughout his career and has won the IIHF World Championship three times.
At age 34, Ovechkin is still going strong. Despite his team’s subpar defensive performance during the 2019-20 season, Ovechkin has had an immensely productive few months and is reasonably on track to hit 50 goals for the ninth time in his career.
The fastest player to to ever reach 700, of course, was the Great One. Gretzky reached the milestone in only 886 games, which is a feat likely never to be surpassed, if only for the ways the game has changed since the 1980s, when Gretzky scored the bulk of his goals.
But Gretzky’s scoring finesse slowed once he hit his 30s due to back injuries and aging, and his career ultimately ended at age 38 with him holding the league record of 894 goals. While Ovechkin has slowed down, the difference hasn’t been nearly as noticeable.
Note that Ovechkin’s age 34 total of 40 goals is accurate through Feb. 19, 2020; a little over halfway through the 19-20 season. All data from NHL.com.
While Gretzky had a prolific (and likely unmatchable) start to his NHL career, Ovechkin’s greatest strength — and his greatest shot at beating the all-time goal record — is his consistency over time. If he were to remain healthy and play through age 38, he would need 45 goals per each remaining season to do it.
But Ovechkin has expressed his doubts over his likelihood of breaking the record. In 2018 he told a reporter in Russia he thought it was impossible for anyone to ever surpass it.
Gretzky has different ideas. In early 2020, he told NHL.com that Ovechkin has “a legitimate chance” of breaking his all-time record. He attributed this to Ovechkin’s health and his strong team.
In fact, much of Ovechkin’s success comes from his consistent 15 seasons with the Washington Capitals and especially in his longterm partnership with center Nicklas Backstrom, who has assisted 260 of those goals, according to NBC. That’s 37 percent of Ovechkin’s total. Yes, that’s a wildly high number. It’s also not a particularly surprising one, considering Backstrom had more assists than any other player in the 2010s.
Now that Backstrom has re-signed with the Capitals through 2025, Ovechkin’s recipe for success should remain fairly constant for a few more years, which increases his opportunity of being perhaps the only player capable of surpassing Gretzky.
Even if Ovechkin doesn’t come close to breaking the record, he’s still a once-in-a-generation kind of goal scorer due to his longevity and consistency. He’s the only player ever, after all, to lead the league in goals for eight seasons.
It’s unlikely another player will reach the 700-goal milestone any time soon. The next closest active player is San Jose Sharks forward Patrick Marleau, who, at age 40, would still have to score nearly 150 additional goals in his career to cross the threshold. It’s safe to say that it will be a long time before any player gets close to matching Ovechkin’s offensive mastery.
Vancouver Canucks winger Dakota Joshua is set to make his season debut Thursday after missing time for cancer treatment.
Head coach Rick Tocchet says Joshua will slot into the lineup Thursday when Vancouver (8-3-3) hosts the New York Islanders.
The 28-year-old from Dearborn, Mich., was diagnosed with testicular cancer this summer and underwent surgery in early September.
He spoke earlier this month about his recovery, saying it had been “very hard to go through” and that he was thankful for support from his friends, family, teammates and fans.
“That was a scary time but I am very thankful and just happy to be in this position still and be able to go out there and play,,” Joshua said following Thursday’s morning skate.
The cancer diagnosis followed a career season where Joshua contributed 18 goals and 14 assists across 63 regular-season games, then added four goals and four assists in the playoffs.
Now, he’s ready to focus on contributing again.
“I expect to be good, I don’t expect a grace period. I’ve been putting the work in so I expect to come out there and make an impact as soon as possible,” he said.
“I don’t know if it’s going to be perfect right from the get-go, but it’s about putting your best foot forward and working your way to a point of perfection.”
The six-foot-three, 206-pound Joshua signed a four-year, US$13-million contract extension at the end of June.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
