The era of hockey`s top goal scorer has a new leader.
Alex Ovechkin has officially become the National Hockey League`s all-time goals leader.
On Sunday, Ovechkin scored his 895th career goal against the New York Islanders, surpassing Wayne Gretzky`s long-standing record of 894 goals.
Gretzky had held this prestigious record for over three decades, until Friday when Ovechkin equaled it with two goals against the Chicago Blackhawks.
It only took one more game for number 8 to claim the top spot in the NHL record books.
In a fitting turn, Ovechkin`s record-breaking goal came during a power play. He received a pass from Tom Wilson and skillfully shot a wrist shot from the top of the circle, getting past Islanders` goalie Ilya Sorokin in the second period.
This goal marked the first time Ovechkin, at 39 years old, has scored against Sorokin, making him the 183rd different goalie to be scored on by Ovechkin.
Ovechkin`s 895th goal was achieved in his 1,487th regular-season game, matching the exact number of games played by Wayne Gretzky in his entire career.
In another interesting coincidence, Gretzky`s 894th goal was also scored against the Islanders.
With this historic moment, here are some initial reactions to Ovechkin`s record-breaking goal from across the hockey world.
