Capitals’ Ovechkin racks up ninth 50-goal season
Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin has again reached 50 goals in the 2021-22 season, tying one NHL record and breaking another.
Alex Ovechkin became just the third player to score 50 goals in nine different NHL seasons after adding two for the Washington Capitals in Wednesday’s 4-3 overtime defeat to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Mike Bossy and Wayne Gretzky were the only players to previously reach that mark in nine separate campaigns.
Ovechkin lands another NHL record
“Obviously, it’s pretty good company,” Ovechkin said afterwards.
And the Capitals great took another record outright in the process, as the oldest player to score 50 goals in a season.
Ovechkin is 36, surpassing John Bucyk, who was aged 35 years and 327 days at the end of his 51-goal season in 1970-71.
It was special, too, for Ovechkin to achieve the feat at T-Mobile Arena, where he and the Capitals clinched the Stanley Cup Finals in 2018.
“Obviously, there’s lots of great memories, locker room, everything, hotel,” he said. “It’s going stay here forever... yeah, pretty fun moments.”
Ovechkin now has 780 career goals, still trailing Gretzky (894) and Gordie Howe (801).