In a historic moment for the NHL, Alex Ovechkin has become the first player ever to reach 900 goals in his career. This remarkable achievement occurred during the Washington Capitals’ game against the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night, solidifying Ovechkin's legacy in the world of professional hockey.
Ovechkin's milestone goal was scored just three minutes into the second period of the Capitals' commanding 6-1 victory over the Blues. The goal came off a precise backhanded shot that beat goaltender Jordan Binnington, marking not only a personal triumph for Ovechkin but also the game's winning goal. This was the 138th game-winning goal of Ovechkin's career, setting a new league record.
As the Capitals celebrated Ovechkin's historic goal on the ice, Binnington attempted to capture the moment by taking the puck as a souvenir. In a surprising twist, he pulled the puck out of the net and tucked it into his pants while skating away from the crease. This unexpected act was caught on TNT cameras, giving a national television audience a front-row seat to the cheeky incident.
Shortly after the puck was hidden, NHL linesman Michel Cormier noticed the situation and approached Binnington. The two were seen engaging in conversation, with Cormier appearing to request the return of the puck. Eventually, Binnington complied, allowing Cormier to skate away with the historic piece of hockey memorabilia, which is expected to be displayed at the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Despite the milestone achievement for Ovechkin, Binnington's night didn't go as planned. He was pulled from the game after allowing four goals on just 15 shots, leading to his replacement by Joel Hofer. Capitals goalie Logan Thompson later expressed his thoughts on the incident, stating he hadn’t seen what Binnington had done but was happy for Ovechkin’s accomplishment. “I was just so happy ‘O’ got it,” Thompson remarked. “I don’t know, maybe he was trying to grab it to give it to him. Who knows?”
Alex Ovechkin's 900th career goal marks a significant milestone in NHL history and further cements his place among the greatest players of all time. As the hockey community celebrates this achievement, fans and players alike will be eager to see what Ovechkin accomplishes next in his illustrious career.
