Alex Ovechkin declined opportunity to pass Wayne Gretzky on all-time list with empty-net goal: 'Let's wait'

Ovechkin turned down the opportunity to complete a historic hat trick

Alex Ovechkin tied Wayne Gretzky for the NHL all-time goals record with two tallies against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night. He had the opportunity to go for the hat trick and No. 895 with an empty-netter late in the game, but Ovechkin said he didn't want to pass Gretzky that way.

Ovechkin's second goal of the game, which also moved him into sole possession of the most game-winning goals ever, put him into a tie with Gretzky at 894 career goals. When the Blackhawks pulled goalie Spencer Knight late in the third period, Ovechkin elected to remain on the bench.

In a joint press conference with Ovechkin and Gretzky, the Washington Capitals captain said he didn't want to move past "The Great One" with an empty-net goal.

"I tell him I don't want empty net," Ovechkin said. "Everybody ask me, I say 'let's wait.'"

The Capitals broadcast captured Ovechkin appearing to shake off coach Spencer Carbery with under two minutes left in the game, and Carbery confirmed that his star player wants to break the record by scoring on a goalie.

"He wants to break the record with the goaltender in the crease, which I appreciate," Carbery said. "He didn't want to go out. ... He told me that on the bench, and I just wanted to confirm and make sure he didn't wanna go back out."

Carbery added that Ovechkin was eager to get back in the game once the Capitals had iced the game with an empty-net goal.

"When the goalie went back in, he absolutely wanted to get back out on the ice," Carbery said.

The beneficiary of Ovechkin's principled stance was Leonard, playing in just his third NHL game after signing his entry-level contract out of Boston College. The former first-round pick scored his first career goal on the empty net, and Gretzky handed him the puck in the locker room.

this and being 20 pic.twitter.com/7RYuo7r6U7

— x - Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 5, 2025

Ovechkin's next chance to score goal No. 895 will come against the New York Islanders on Sunday afternoon. That game starts at 12:30 p.m. ET, and Isles goalie Ilya Sorokin can expect to get peppered by his fellow countryman.