However, the main event expected on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean will be the appearance on the ice of Washington captain Alexander Ovechkin. The 38-year-old Russian will spend his 19th season in North America. He is now the main star of the NHL (not the strongest player, but the main star), as Alexander continues to pursue Wayne Gretzky’s seemingly eternal record for the most goals scored in regular NHL championships . The Canadian has scored 894 accurate shots during his career and Ovechkin now has 822 goals.
Records that Ovechkin can break in the 2023/2024 season
The main record that could fall under the onslaught of Alexander Ovechkin in the new NHL season is the number of seasons with more than 50 goals. The Great Eight are now tied for first place in this metric with Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy. Each of these three has crossed the 50 goal mark nine times during the season. It is noteworthy that Ovechkin achieved this goal in 18 seasons, Gretzky spent 20 regular championships, and Bossy managed to reach this mark in just 10 years.
However, the chances of this happening are unfortunately low. The last time Alexander did this was in the 2021/2022 season, when, after coronavirus problems, he prepared fantastically for the new season and lost exactly fifty dollars in 77 matches . It seems that this is only the penultimate season, but every year, due to Alexander’s age, it will be more and more difficult for him to keep this bar. Perhaps the 2023/2024 season is the last real opportunity to re-enter the 50 club.
But setting a record for the number of seasons with more than 35 goals seems more realistic. Alexander now shares the record for this indicator with Mike Gartner. Both have 14 such seasons under their belt. So, in the 2023/2024 season, Ovechkin must single-handedly take ownership of this unique feat.
Another record that Alexander can break is the number of goals in a season for a player aged 38 or older. The legendary Gordie Howe scored 39 goals in the 1967/1968 season at the age of 39, and the next season, already at the age of 40, he improved his result by scoring 44 goals. Ovechkin, whose contract runs through the end of the 2025-26 season, still has three years to surpass those incredible numbers. It seems like, as with 50+ goals, you have to break that record here and now because a better opportunity might not present itself later.
It is interesting that Alexander Ovechkin, before the start of the 2023/2024 campaign, occupies third place in the race of the best snipers in the opening matches of the season. During his NHL career, he has already scored 13 goals in the first games of the season. Only Dino Cissarelli (14 goals in 16 seasons) and Michel Goulet (14 goals in 13 seasons) are currently better ranked than the Russian. One goal in the match against Pittsburgh, and Ovi will repeat the record. If he manages to achieve a double, he will completely beat him.
Prediction of the number of goals for Alexander Ovechkin in the 2023/2024 season
In our opinion, missing the playoffs in the 2023/2024 season played a good role in Alexander Ovechkin’s preparation for the current campaign. During the long vacation, the Russian healed most of his injuries, rested well and started preparing for the new season earlier than usual. So he is capable of producing another phenomenal year and putting the doubters to shame. We expect Ovechkin to definitely break the 40-goal barrier for the season and try to break the 50-goal mark.
Nikita Serbakov, Athletistic
Source: Sport
I’m Emma Smith, a dedicated journalist and avid storyteller. I have been writing for news websites for the past 5 years, reporting on hockey news and delivering in-depth analysis of the sport. In my current role as Author at Athletistic, I write about hockey events from around the world to keep followers up-to-date with what’s happening in the sport.
