Ovechkin passes Howe for most goals scored with one team originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
There’s never been a franchise legend like Alex Ovechkin.
Ovechkin reached a significant checkpoint in his chase for the all-time goal record Saturday, passing Hall of Famer Gordie Howe for the most goals scored with one franchise in NHL history. The lifetime Capital notched his 787th career tally in their game against the Arizona Coyotes, scoring one of his signature one-timers on a power play in the second period.
After tying Howe’s record against his old team with a goal in Thursday’s 3-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings, Ovechkin is now the sole owner of the record. Howe held it for 51 years, scoring the final goal of his Red Wings career during the 1970-71 campaign. Both he and Ovechkin are the only two players with 700 or more goals for one team; six have totaled at least 600:
- Alex Ovechkin (Capitals) – 787
- Gordie Howe (Red Wings) – 786
- Steve Yzerman (Red Wings) – 692
- Mario Lemieux (Penguins) – 690
- Joe Sakic (Avalanche/Nordiques) – 625
- Bobby Hull (Black Hawks) – 604
Thanks to his one-year stint with the Hartford Whalers, Howe still sits 14 goals ahead of Ovechkin for the second most in NHL history at 801. He’ll have the chance to pass Howe this season as he inches closer to Wayne Gretzky’s top mark of 894.
As for the Capitals’ franchise goal list, Ovechkin has put some significant distance between himself and No. 2 man Peter Bondra (472). The closest active player is Nicklas Backstrom (264), who sits fourth on the list but has yet to appear in a game this season as he recovers from hip resurfacing surgery.
