Which Records Could Alex Ovechkin Break Next?

Alex Ovechkin made it official yesterday, announcing he’d return to the NHL for the 2025-26 season. 

It’s unclear how real a possibility retirement was for Ovechkin, but he’ll be lacing them up for at least one more season with the Washington Capitals. 

Ovechkin made history this past season by becoming the all-time leader in career goals, passing Wayne Gretzky’s mark of 894. The 40-year-old has one more year on the five-year deal he signed with Washington in 2021. 

It was once unthinkable that anyone would approach Gretzky’s career goal record, but Ovi did it after scoring 44 goals this season. 

With the career goal record in the rear view mirror now, what other records could Ovechkin collect on his way to the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Here are a few records that he could, conceivably, break. 

Which Records Could Alex Ovechkin Break Next?

Most Career Goals, Including Playoffs

This first one’s an easy one. Gretzky may have already surrendered the career regular-season goals mark, but he still leads in career goals including the playoffs, with 1,016 goals. 

Ovechkin currently has 974 goals, so he’d need 42 more to grab that record as well. 

If the Russian forward has another 40-goal season in him, this record could be easy to break.

If we assume Ovechkin will play more than just one more season, he’ll easily break this one. 

Most Career 20-Goal Seasons

Gordie Howe holds the record for most 20-goal seasons with 22. 

Howe did so with 22 consecutive seasons with at least 20 goals from 1949 to 1971. 

Ovechkin is the only player in NHL history with at least 20 seasons of 20 goals. He earned that mark this past season. 

If Ovechkin can remain in the league for at least two more years under his usual production, he’ll easily break Howe’s record. 

Most Career Hat Tricks

Gretzky holds the record for most career hat tricks with 50. 

He earned his 50th and final career hat trick on October 11, 1997, when he played with the New York Rangers against the Vancouver Canucks. 

Ovechkin currently has 32 career hat tricks, meaning he’d need 18 more to at least tie the record. 

He earned that 32nd in a 7-3 win against the Edmonton Oilers in February of this past season. 

Gretzky completed that feat in 20 seasons, and Ovechkin will be entering his 21st season next year, meaning he’s behind Gretzky’s pace. 

This record will be harder for Ovechkin to reach, given that he only had two hat tricks this past season and none the year before. 

Most Career Time On Ice

Ovechkin is fifth on the All-Time Time On Ice leaderboard, with three active players ahead of him. 

40-year-old St. Louis Blues forward Ryan Suter holds the record with 36,754:04. Behind him are Brent Burns and Drew Doughty, both active players. In fourth place all-time is Duncan Keith with 30,993:40. 

Ovechkin will likely have some trouble with this record as well, given that Suter, the record-holder, could be entering his 21st season next year and is very much ahead of him on pace. Burns reached second place in 21 seasons while Doughty reached third in only his 17th season. 

Ovechkin would need to amass 6,000 minutes over the remainder of his career to tie what Burns has now. 

Most Career Multi-Goal Games

Gretzky is the record-holder for most career multi-goal games — are you sensing a theme here?

The Great One had 189 in his career, while Alex Ovechkin has 179. 

Unlike the previous two, this is more of a not if but when record. I’m pretty confident that Ovechkin can collect 10 more multi-goal games before his career ends.