We don’t know whether this will be Alex Ovechkin’s final season as a Washington Capital or not, but there’s never a bad time to reflect back on two decades of being treated to this amazing talent. So each game day throughout the 2025-26 season, we’re going to be picking an Ovechkin moment to remember against that day’s opponent!
Goal #767 – 3/15/2022
Before Gretzky was anywhere close to being in his sights, Alex Ovechkin first had to climb the ladder of the NHL’s all-time goal-scorers. It seemed an almost monthly occurrence that he would knock another rung off that ladder – crossing into the 700s and passing Mike Gartner (708), then Phil Esposito (717), Marcel Dionne (731), and Brett Hull (741).
It was when he inched closer to the top three that things started to really feel…possible. And the first of those three was former Cap and longtime thorn in the side of DC fans, Jaromir Jagr, who had been sitting at 766 since November 2017.
Ovechkin tied Jagr on March 8 against the Flames – oddly enough, the last team Jagr himself played for and the jersey he was wearing when he scored #766.
A week later, as the Caps hosted the Islanders, this happened:
The moment included a message from Jagr himself, who had this to say:
“Alex, ‘The Great 8,’ congratulations. Now you’ve become the leading NHL goal-scorer among European players, but keep scoring. Keep scoring, because as you know, I didn’t retire from hockey yet and there’s a chance I might come back to the NHL and start chasing you.”
NHL.com
Here’s the big man mic’d up for the big moment (and more):