Scott Taetsch Getty Images
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin capped of the Year 2022 in style with a hat trick against the Montreal Canadiens, a night that saw the Caps demolish the Habs thanks in part to Ovechkin’s first two goals plus one.
Ovechkin scored his 24th goal of the 2022-23 regular season, on assists from Trevor van Riemsdyk and Lars Eller, in the second period of the Caps’ matchup against the Habs.
A turnover, a great pass, and…
ALEX OVECHKIN’S 804th CAREER GOAL!!! pic.twitter.com/koSshCeaer
— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) December 31, 2022
The goal gives Ovechkin the record for most goals scored by a player aged 37 or older, moving him past Brendan Shanahan’s 23 goals scored in the 2006-07 season.
oh hi hello there here’s another Ovi record pic.twitter.com/HN9PamOIGs
— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) December 31, 2022
Additionally the goal (his 50th regular season tally of the calendar Year 2022) ties The Great Eight with NHL great Mike Bossy for the most seasons with 50 goals in a calendar year (8).
He tied Mike Bossy (8: 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984 & 1986) for the most in League history (per @PR_NHL).
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) December 31, 2022
Only players with 50+ goals in the 2022 calendar year:
Auston Matthews (25 yrs old)
Connor McDavid (25)
David Pastrnak (26)
Jason Robertson (23)
Kirill Kaprizov (25)
Tage Thompson (25)
Leon Draisaitl (27)
Alex Ovechkin (37)— Matt Weyrich (@ByMattWeyrich) December 31, 2022
Ovechkin scored a second goal on the power play in the third period against Montreal, giving him his sixth multi-goal game of the season and his 164th overall; only Wayne Gretzky’s 189 multi-goal games outpace the Caps’ captain.
Ovi does it again 🚀 pic.twitter.com/34EoDBRvpJ
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) December 31, 2022
With his 25th goal, Ovechkin tied former Capitals forward Mike Gartner for the most in NHL history, with the 2022-23 campaign making 17.
(Related) Most career 25+ goal seasons in NHL history:
20- Gordie Howe
18- Jaromir Jagr
17- Alex Ovechkin (Via his 2nd tonight on an early 3rd period PP goal to make it 6-2 #Capitals vs MTL)
17- Mike Gartner
16- Marcel Dionne
16- Brett Hull
16- Brendan Shanahan
16- Teemu Selanne https://t.co/Spza4x5AXa— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) December 31, 2022
Ovechkin’s third goal capped a nine-spot put up by Washington to close out New Year’s Eve, giving him 30 three-goal performances in his career.
IT’S ANOTHER HAT TRICK FOR ALEX OVECHKIN 😱
His third goal looks awfullyyyyyy similar to another goal he scored vs. Montreal way back when 👀 pic.twitter.com/YSDqVeGl5X
— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) December 31, 2022
The goal gives The Great Eight his second hatty of the season.
Ovechkin’s 30 hat tricks are the sixth-most in NHL history (Wayne Gretzky: 50; Mario Lemieux: 40; Mike Bossy: 39; Brett Hull: 33; Phil Esposito: 32).
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) January 1, 2023
By Michael Fleetwood
I mean, why not? Mind-blowing win tonight
Toronto Sun has called for Canada to deny Ovi a visa when the Caps go to Toronto Jan 29.
Lol, I heard that. Xenophobic losers.
I hope that the NHL stands strong for their Russian players and if Canada does deny the visa move the game to DC.
We will boycot Labatt’s Blue…or whatever they export.
They export a lot of hockey players, Sid the Kid being number 1. They also hold the Stanley Cup.
This could be a real problem. I don’t like Trudeau, his stand against guns or his stand against the truckers. I don’t trust him. He could do it as a PR stunt which means that the NHL would then seriously have to decide their response. Their position has been that they stand by and support all their Russian players. I hope that this would continue to be their response. If it happens, to me the correct move would be to reschedule the game to the US. Same for any other game this year involving Ovi and lack of a Canadian visa.
Ovi trying to pass Gretzky this season.