Alex Ovechkin admits breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal record hasn’t hit him yet - "I will cry later"

Alex Ovechkin became the NHL's leading goal scorer after breaking Wayne Gretzky's 894 goal record. However, that realization has not yet hit him. Almost four months have passed, but he still doesn't feel any different.

Ovechkin talked about breaking Gretzky's record on Sunday. He scored his 895th goal on April 6 against Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders.

Ovechkin explained that the moment will feel real only after his career ends.

"The realization of the record will come when I finish my career," Ovechkin said on Sunday, via championat.com (translated by Google from Russian). "Mine is still going on. But I see the excitement around me. I understand that it’s really cool. People watched, cheered, worried. Everyone who comes up to me really knows that this happened.

Ovechkin thanked his family, teammates and friends for their support. He also said he feels proud but hasn’t cried yet.

“I realize that I have a wonderful career when this drive passes," Ovechkin said. "And now I just see that there is hype. Were there tears of joy? I will cry later.”

Ovechkin is looking to have a good finish to his career. Only he knows what he has planned for the fans.

Ovechkin has 897 career goals and is expected to reach 900 early next season. He has played 1,491 games, and he is in the final year of his contract with Washington. Ovechkin's fans hope he signs an extension before July 1, 2026.

Alex Ovechkin plans to play and called his retirement rumors 'nonsense'

Apart from breaking Wayne Gretzky's goal record, Alex Ovechkin is also the NHL's highest earner. DraftKings Sportsbook reported on X on Saturday that he has earned over $171 million in his career. Ovechkin passed Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in total salary.

Ovechkin also called retirement rumors nonsense in July and said he hasn’t started contract talks. He is nine games away from reaching 1,500 NHL games, all with the Washington Capitals.

“This is pure nonsense that (media) flipped things and put Nastya in that position,” Ovechkin said, via Sport-Express.

Ovechkin has been active with interviews in Russia. During a discussion with Kamil Gadzhiev in July, he named Evgeni Malkin one of the NHL’s toughest fighters. They were close friends earlier in their careers, and despite some ups and downs, they still respect each other.

Ovechkin is heading into his 21st NHL season with more milestones in sight.