Ovechkin joins elite company with 9th 40-goal season
It's no secret Alex Ovechkin is one of the greatest goal-scorers in NHL history. It seems every goal he scores continues to prove how special he truly is.
Ovechkin notched his 40th goal of the season in the first period of the outdoor game against the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday, becoming just the sixth player in NHL history with at least nine 40-goal seasons, per NHL Public Relations.
| Player | 40-goal seasons |
|---|---|
| Wayne Gretzky | 12 |
| Marcel Dionne | 10 |
| Mario Lemieux | 10 |
| Alex Ovechkin | 9 |
| Mike Bossy | 9 |
| Mike Gartner | 9 |
To make this feat all the more impressive, Ovechkin has done it while playing in one of the lowest-scoring eras in league history.
Moreover, the tally was Ovechkin's 598th of his career. With two more goals, he will be just the 20th player in NHL history to join the 600-goal club.
Ovechkin's goal also marked the seventh time in his career where he was the first player in the NHL to reach 40 goals in a season, passing Phil Esposito and Bobby Hull for the most in league history, per ESPN.