Alex Ovechkin breaks 3-year hiatus from X with playful jibe at former goalie Curtis Joseph

Modified Apr 09, 2025 10:50 GMT

NHL: Washington Capitals at New York Islanders - Source: Imagn — Alex Ovechkin breaks 3-year hiatus from X with playful jibe at former goalie Curtis Joseph - Source: Imagn

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin snapped a three-year hiatus from X (Twitter) with a playful jab at former goaltender Curtis Joseph.

Ilya Sorokin was the goaltender against whom Ovechkin surpassed Wayne Gretzky's 894-goal record, scoring on a power-play during a 4-1 loss to the NY Islanders on Sunday.

Notably, Ovi has failed to score against 28 goaltenders throughout his career. These goalies were honored by Budweiser Canada with a can of beer and nicknamed them "Kings of Zero."

Among them is former Leafs goalie Curtis Joseph, a Vezina Trophy nominee to make the list. He shared a picture with his keepsake and posted a message congratulating Alex Ovechkin:

"Congrats to the greatest goal scorer of all time @ovi8. Feeling very lucky to have NOT been a part of it! 2 shots, 0 goals," Joseph posted.

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Ovechkin hopped back onto X after his long absence and responded with a humorous jab:

"Thx u!! I probably score goal on next shot, but u retired !!"

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The last time Alex Ovechkin posted on X was when Minnesota Wild forward Kiril Kaprizov paid tribute to him during a Breakaway Challenge. Before taking his shot, Kaprizov had removed his Wild jersey to reveal a red Ovechkin Capitals jersey.

Ovi responded:

"Not bad :)))))."

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Alex Ovechkin still contemplating breaking Wayne Gretzky's record

Ovechkin is still processing what it means to surpass Wayne Gretzky's record, describing the achievement as something wild and admitting that it might take him a few days or even weeks to fully grasp being the top goalscorer in the NHL.

“This is something crazy. I'm probably going to need a couple more days or maybe a couple weeks to realize what does it mean to be No. 1," Ovechkin said (via NHL.com).

"I'm really proud for my family, for all my teammates that help me to reach that milestone and for all my coaches. It's huge. It's unbelievable. It's an unbelievable moment and I'm happy," Ovi added.

Now that the record chase is complete, Alex Ovechkin is shifting his focus to the final stretch of the regular season as the playoffs approach. The Washington Capitals hold second place in the standings, with 107 points after 77 games.

Ovi, who has potted 42 goals this season, will look to increase his tally when the Capitals take on the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.

About the author

Abhishek is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of sports reporting experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delhi. He became a fan of ice hockey after watching NHL fight videos on YouTube, which led to him professionally writing about the sport and his continued interest in all things hockey.

A fan of the Boston Bruins, Abhishek considers their incredible comeback win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 playoffs as the most iconic moment in the NHL. His admiration for the six-time Stanley Cup winners also comes from the team’s storied history, distinctive black and gold uniform and their success in the sport. His all-time favorite NHL players are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, for their ability to perform at the highest level consistently.

Abhishek ensures his reporting is fair and balanced by being well-researched in his details, which he expects to be relevant, up-to-date and in line with ethical standards. His specialties are doing detailed match analysis and covering fan reactions.

Abhishek enjoys music, traveling and going on walks with his three German Shepherds in his free time, along with learning about horticulture.

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Edited by Bhargav