Alex Ovechkin’s “Gr8 Chase” ended Sunday in dramatic fashion. The Washington Capitals player scored his 895th career goal in New York against the Islanders. And in doing so, he became the NHL’s top goal scorer of all time — surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s long-held record of 894 career goals.
Gretzky was on hand to witness the historic moment, and congratulated Ovechkin in an on-ice ceremony held at the game. “Wayne, you’ll always be the ‘Great One’ and you had a record that nobody ever thought would be broken. But Alex, you did it,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said at the ceremony.
In post-game interviews Ovechkin said: “I’m probably gonna need a couple more days or maybe a couple weeks to realize what does it mean to be No. 1. I’m really proud for myself. I’m really proud for my family, for all my teammates that help me to reach that milestone and for all my coaches. It’s huge. It’s unbelievable. It’s unbelievable moment, and I’m happy,” AP News reported.
Alex Ovechkin Merchandise
To celebrate the historic moment, Capital One Arena’s Ovi Shop opened Monday at 8 a.m. Located on 7th Street in DC, the shop features merchandise related to Ovechkin, the Gr8 Chase, and his newfound status as the NHL’s all-time goals leader. Items include commemorative shirts, hockey pucks, hats, and pennants. The store is open today until 6 p.m. After today, the shop will be open for Caps home games the rest of the season.
Fans can also buy some special merchandise at the MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington.
Also, sports brand Fanatics has created a special “Locker Room Collection.” The collection includes a hat and a short-sleeved and long-sleeved T-shirt.
The Locker Room merchandise is available on Fanatics.com (and the Fanatics App) and NHLShop.com (including the Capitals’ online store). Fans can also buy it at the Capital One Arena Ovi Shop.
Feature image by Michele Kettner
