Henrik Lundqvist names the toughest rival of his career
What a tribute!
Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Ovechkin is a Russian left winger who has captained the Washington Capitals since January 2010 and holds the NHL record for career goals. Ovechkin was drafted first overall in 2004, won the Stanley Cup with Washington in 2018 and passed Wayne Gretzky's mark of 894 regular-season goals on 6 April 2025. Ovechkin has also collected three Hart Trophies as league MVP and nine Rocket Richard Trophies as its leading goal scorer.
| Position | Left wing |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 September 1985 in Moscow, Russia |
| Drafted | 2004, first round, first overall, Washington Capitals |
| NHL teams | Washington Capitals |
| Milestones | Named captain 5 January 2010; Stanley Cup 2018; broke Gretzky's goals record 6 April 2025; 900th NHL goal 5 November 2025 |
| Honours | Three Hart Trophies, nine Rocket Richard Trophies, Conn Smythe Trophy 2018, Calder Trophy 2006, three Ted Lindsay Awards |
| Known for | The one-timer from the left circle and the biggest goal total in NHL history |
Alexander Ovechkin's goals and the record he took from Wayne Gretzky
Gretzky's 894 regular-season goals stood for more than two decades before Ovechkin scored number 895 on 6 April 2025 in Uniondale, New York. Ovechkin reached 900 on 5 November 2025, the first player in league history to get there. The shape of the scoring never changed much: a one-timer fired from the left circle on the power play, set up the same way for close to two decades. Our breakdown of how Ovechkin's goals are spread across every NHL team shows how evenly he punished the league.
Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, the rivalry that framed an era
Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby entered the NHL one draft apart, Ovechkin first overall in 2004 and Crosby in 2005, and the league marketed them against each other from the start. Crosby built the deeper trophy case in team terms, while Ovechkin owns the goal-scoring records. Their teams met repeatedly in the playoffs, and Washington's 2018 run finally went through Pittsburgh on the way to the Capitals' first Stanley Cup. The needle between them has usually been good-natured, as when Ovechkin was caught on a microphone chirping Crosby during a game.
Alexander Ovechkin's equipment, from his shoulder pads to his stick
Ovechkin's gear is a long-running curiosity among fans, partly because he resists change. He began on CCM, moved to Bauer in 2011, returned to CCM in 2017 and later took on a custom stick from a smaller maker, branded with his own number eight logo. The reason was practical rather than superstitious: manufacturers kept discontinuing the exact model and 100 flex he had settled on, and Ovechkin has said the hardest part is finding a replacement that feels comfortable again. CCM has also carried Ovechkin-branded protective gear in its signature retail lines, which is one reason searches for his shoulder pads keep turning up.
Who is Alexander Ovechkin's wife?
Ovechkin married the Russian model Nastasiya Shubskaya in 2016. She has been a regular presence at Capitals milestone nights, including the game in April 2025 when Ovechkin broke the goals record. Ovechkin keeps most family matters away from interviews, though his two sons have become familiar faces around the rink and in Capitals content, and his dressing room reacted warmly when he reached 1,000 career goals across the regular season and playoffs. Beyond that, the Ovechkin household stays largely private.
