All eyes are on Alex Ovechkin right now. The Washington Capitals icon, despite suffering a serious injury in November 2024, is right on track to smashing The Great One’s all-time goal-scoring record. The excitement around Ovi surpassing Gretzky grows with every passing game. Yet, just as the LA Kings have put a halt to the Capitals’ five-game winning streak, Podcast host Rob Gucci has dropped news of Ovechkin nearing another record.
Yes, you heard that right, besides needing to score just nine goals to equal Wayne Gretzky, the 39-year-old is already in third place on a different leader board. And surprisingly, in a sport that’s so physical, it’s one stat everyone has overlooked amid the thrilling record chase. Thankfully, Gucci isn’t one of them.
“Alex Ovechkin needs like 300 more hits to become the NHL’s all-time hits leader and nobody is talking about it,” The Rob Gucci Show host posted on social media. While that may seem like a long way to go, it’s no secret that a brawny player like the Capitals veteran is not afraid to get scrappy on the ice. “1st in the NHL goals and hits in NHL history,” Gucci imagined.
The Podcast host then drew attention to how much more impressive the feat would be considering the forward is already 39. “How his body is holding up is beyond me…” explained Gucci. So how many hits does Ovechkin have? The Russian superstar has 3,721 hits in 1,475 games as per the official NHL stats website. New York Islanders’ Cal Clutterbuck leads the pack with 4,029 hits.
Alex Ovechkin needs like 300 more hits to become the NHL’s all time hits leader and nobody is talking about it.
1st in the NHL goals and hits in NHL history. What a psychotic maniac.
How his body is holding up is beyond me I typically don’t think about mens bodies too much…
— Rob Gucci (@heatdaddy69420) March 14, 2025
However, it’s important to remember that there’s a caveat to the hits stat. That’s because long removed from the time of the original Six, the NHL started formally counting hits from the 2005-06 season. This means the legends who came before that season are not part of the list. There was also a massive audit in 2024 that reshuffled the hits stats.
With that being said, it doesn’t discredit Alex Ovechkin’s being on the cusp of achieving another NHL record. What’s more? If you think these are the only two records Ovechkin is threatening right now, you’d be wrong.
Alex Ovechkin could break two of Wayne Gretzky’s milestones
Yes, not one, not two, the ice hockey icon might just achieve three new milestones. Yet, what’s the other Wayne Gretzky achievement he would surpass? It’s how many games the Capitals star will take to equal the Canadian legend’s goals record. John Buccigross pointed out on X that the veteran has a chance of equaling Gretzky’s goals and get there sooner than the Great One.
The Edmonton Oilers icon scored 894 goals in 1487 games. Meanwhile, Alex Ovechkin has scored 885 goals in 1471 games. This means they had an over 10-game cushion to reach the 894 goals mark. However, Buccigross pointed it out on March 6, and the Capitals have been busy for the past week. Right now, Ovechkin stands at 886 goals in 1475 matches.
While the 10-game cushion is still there, Ovechkin’s stick has been silent in these last two games. Firstly, Ovi didn’t score, despite the Washington Capitals’ 7-4 victory over the Ducks. Instead, he selflessly helped Aliaksei Protas complete his first NHL hat trick. And now the LA Kings have prevented the 39-year-old from closing the gap further by defeating the Capitals 3-0.
As if Alex Ovechkin chasing Wayne Gretzky’s goals record wasn’t thrilling enough, now there’s the added excitement to see if the hockey icon can surpass that record in less time. What do you think will happen? Write your views in the comments.
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