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ELMONT, N.Y. — Alexander Ovechkin became the leading goal scorer in NHL history Sunday afternoon when he collected — appropriately — a power-play goal with 12:34 left in the second period of the Washington Capitals’ game against the New York Islanders.

The 895th goal of Ovechkin’s career snapped a tie with Wayne Gretzky and unleashed a nearly 20-minute celebration.

“They say records are made to be broken,” Gretzky said during an on-ice ceremony about the record he held for 31 years. “But I’m not sure who’s going to get more goals than that.”

Ovechkin took a pass from Tom Wilson and fired a wrist shot from the left faceoff circle that sailed blocker side over the shoulder of Ilya Sorokin. Ovechkin, who also has an NHL-record 325 power-play goals, raised his arms, skated a few steps and did a bellyflop on the ice as the sellout crowd of 17,250 roared.

“We have all witnessed history,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said.

The Capitals, led by John Carlson, bolted for the 39-year-old Ovechkin and mobbed him at center ice before the celebration drifted backward as the scoreboard displayed a graphic reading “895 NHL ALL-TIME GOALS LEADER ALEX OVECHKIN.”

A montage of Ovechkin’s earlier milestone goals aired as a blue carpet was rolled onto the ice next to a commemorative painting of Ovechkin showing him raising the Stanley Cup in 2018. The scoreboard tribute ended with messages from his wife, Anastasia, their two children and Ovechkin’s mother, Tatyana, all of whom joined him at center ice.

The Islanders remained on the ice and tapped their sticks before Ovechkin exchanged handshakes with the skaters and hugged goalie Ilya Sorokin. He later hugged New York coach Patrick Roy, who ranks third in NHL history in wins by a goaltender.

After Bettman and Gretzky spoke, Gretzky and his wife, Janet, presented Ovechkin’s wife with a gift — just as Gordie Howe’s wife had done for Janet when Gretzky surpassed Howe’s mark in 1994.

Ovechkin hugged and kissed his family members before taking a mic adorned with an “895” cube.

“What a day, huh?” Ovechkin said.

The milestone goal capped an impressive sprint to the record by Ovechkin, who began the season 41 shy of Gretzky after scoring 31 goals in 2023-24 — his fewest in a full 82-game season.

Ovechkin scored just two goals in his first seven games this season but collected 13 in his next 11 before suffering a broken leg that sidelined him for almost six weeks.

Ovechkin scored in his first two games following his return on Dec. 28. The record-breaker Sunday extended his goal-scoring streak to five contests and was his sixth goal in that span. He tied the record with a pair of goals when Washington beat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3 on Friday.

Ovechkin’s historic goal ended Gretzky’s three-decade reign as the NHL’s top goal scorer and began what could be a similarly long tenure atop the all-time list. Sidney Crosby, who is 37 years old and entered the league with Ovechkin in 2005, ranks second behind Ovechkin among active players with 622 goals entering Sunday.

Only five players in their 20s — Leon Draisaitl (399 goals), Auston Matthews (398), David Pastrnak (388), Nathan MacKinnon (367) and Connor McDavid (361) — are within 50 of reaching the 400-goal milestone.

–Jerry Beach, Field Level Media