Entering the 2024-25 season, Ovechkin needed 42 goals to break Gretzky’s record of 894 career tallies. After scoring goal No. 879 on February 6, Ovechkin now needs just 16 goals to pass Gretzky for the NHL’s record.

We're tracking Ovechkin's pursuit of Gretzky's goal record and trying to determine the game in which he's most likely to break the record.

The Washington Capitals’ star is just 17 goals shy of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record, thanks in large part to an avalanche of goals scored into an empty net.