Alex Rodriguez congratulates Alex Ovechkin after the 12x All-Star breaks Wayne Gretzky's NHL career goals record

New York Yankees Great Alex Rodriguez & NHL Career Goals Leader Alex Ovechkin — New York Yankees great Alex Rodriguez & NHL career goals leader Alex Ovechkin (Photos via IMAGN)

Former New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez understands greatness when he sees it. Throughout his career, he was invited to 14 All-Star Games, won 10 Silver Sluggers, and was a three-time AL MVP, just to name a few.

He, as many others, was enthralled watching NHL superstar Alex Ovechkin get closer and closer to the career goals record. Going into Sunday, he had 894 goals, tied for the most with Wayne Gretzky.

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However, in the second period, Ovechkin found the net against the New York Islanders. He has now passed Gretzky with 895 career goals and counting. Early Tuesday, A-Rod congratulated the legend in the making for his incredible milestone.

"Congrats on making NHL history" said Alex Rodriguez.

What made Ovechkin's record-setting goal even cooler? He did it off a goaltender he had never scored against. Now, he has scored against 183 different goalies throughout his career.

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Afterward, Ovechkin went over to the goalie that he scored off of. Immediately, Ilya Sorokin handed him his stick. He also said he would give his glove to Ovechkin after the season was over.

895 goals in the middle of his 20th season is hard to wrap your head around. He has come quite a long way since he made his debut with the Washington Capitals in 2005.

Alex Rodriguez is not the only one impressed by Alex Ovechkin's milestone goal

Washington Capitals - Alex Ovechkin (Photo via IMAGN)

Alex Ovechkin has long been one of the NHL's most dominant players. He has been awarded the Maurice "Rocket" Richard trophy eight times throughout his career, which is reserved for the top goal scorer of the season.

He has been somebody hockey fans have fallen in love with, as he has been an excellent role model for the sport. Not many can match the dedication he has to perfecting his craft.

After he scored his 895th goal, he was showered with cheers. From Alex Rodriguez to fans all over, they took the time to congratulate a generational talent, but it did not stop there.

Wayne Gretzky, the man he overtook for most career goals, was more than excited to pass the torch. Gretzky knew what kind of pressure Ovechkin was facing and knew it was only a matter of time.

During the game, Gretzky was in attendance and met with Ovechkin at center ice. The two shared an exchange and he congratulated him on a great career thus far.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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Edited by Jared "Bloomy" Bloom