WASHINGTON — Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin tied Sergei Fedorov on Saturday for the most goals scored in the NHL by a Russian-born player.
Ovechkin recorded his team-leading eighth goal of the season and the 483rd of his career in the second period of Saturday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He also scored in the fourth round of the shootout to lift Washington to a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Leafs.
“Obviously a huge honor,” Ovechkin said ahead of Saturday’s game when asked about approaching the record. “To pass all the great names in Russian hockey and to be number one, it’s huge.”
Ovechkin and Fedorov were briefly teammates in Washington from 2008–09.
“I had the huge privilege to play with him and had the luck to be on the same team and same line. He was the best teammate I had.”
Fedorov, who will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday, had 483 goals in 1,248 career games. Ovechkin scored his 483rd goal in career game No. 772.
“That’s pretty outstanding,” Capitals head coach Barry Trotz said at the Capitals’ morning skate Saturday. “And he’s doing it in an era where it’s harder to score. When I see those numbers that’s what blows me away. Knowing how great Sergei was as a player, that’s pretty outstanding.”
