The torch has been passed.
Alex Ovechkin is now the National Hockey League’s all-time leading goal scorer.
By netting the 895th goal of his career on Sunday against the New York Islanders, Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky’s longstanding record of 894.
Gretzky had solely held the title for over 31 years — until Friday, when Ovechkin tied him with two goals against the Chicago Blackhawks.
It took just one more game for No. 8 to stand alone atop the NHL record books.
Fittingly on the power play, Ovechkin took a pass from Tom Wilson and beat Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin with a wrist shot from the top of the circle in the second period.
This was the first time the 39-year-old scored on Sorokin, making him the 183rd different goaltender Ovechkin has beaten.
The Russian winger’s 895th goal came in his 1,487th regular-season game — the same number of games Wayne Gretzky played in his career.
And, coincidentally, Gretzky’s 894th goal was also scored against the Islanders.
With history made, here’s a look at some of the immediate reactions to Ovechkin’s record-breaking goal.
