On Sunday, Alex Ovechkin made history by breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record for the most goals scored in NHL history, netting his 895th goal against the New York Islanders.

In a thrilling match, Ovechkin scored during a power play, beating his fellow countryman, Ilya Sorokin, in the second period. Until this game, Ovechkin had never scored against Sorokin, marking him as the 183rd different goalie he has defeated, bringing the score to 2-1.

After achieving this milestone, the game was paused for several moments as teammates celebrated Ovechkin’s victory, with a tribute video played in the Islanders’ UBS Arena in recognition of the new goalscoring leader in the NHL. Ovechkin received congratulations from Gretzky himself on the ice.

This season, Ovechkin has 42 goals, despite missing 16 games due to injury. He has reached the 40-goal mark for the 14th time, surpassing Gretzky’s record by two. Ovechkin’s playing history also includes numerous records, including the most power-play goals, the most shots on goal, and the highest number of different goals scored against unique goalies.

Gretzky, often referred to as ’the Great One,’ scored 894 goals throughout his career, which ended in 1999, but still holds 55 NHL records, including points scored and assists.

Ovechkin, who was the first overall pick in 2004, has spent his entire NHL career with the Washington Capitals and has received multiple accolades, including being a 12-time All-Star and winning the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2018 during his team’s championship run.