How old was Wayne Gretzky when he retired? NHL legend's age at 894 goals compared to Alex Ovechkin

Wayne Gretzky scored his 894th NHL goal on March 29, 1999. He did it at the age of 38 years and 2 months by scoring the goal on a power play during a game between the New York Rangers and New York Islanders. Less than a month after scoring that goal, he retired in April that year.

Alex Ovechkin tied Gretzky’s record on April 4, 2025, when he was 39 years, 6 months, and 18 days old. He scored the goal against the Chicago Blackhawks. It came during a power play and gave the Capitals a 4-3 lead. He broke the record two days later.

Ovechkin passed Gretzky with his 895th goal on April 6, 2025. It was a coincidence that he also created his record against the Islanders, the same as Gretzky. The goal came on the power play in the second period. It was a wrist shot from the left circle.

He and Gretzky both created the NHL goal record in 1,487 games. But Ovechkin tied Gretzky's 894-goal record in 1,486 games. Ovechkin played his whole career with the Capitals while Gretzky played for four NHL teams. Both players have consistently scored for nearly 20 years.

Wayne Gretzky was in the arena to watch Ovechkin's 895th goal, and he joined him on the ice to shake hands and congratulate him. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman also showed respect to both NHL icons during the short ceremony.

"We have all just witnessed history in front of greatness," Bettman said, via NHL.com. "Wayne, you’ll always be 'The Great One’ and you had a record that nobody ever thought could be broken, but Alex, you did it. You have been amazing."

Alex Ovechkin talked about breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal record

On April 6, Alex Ovechkin passed Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record. The date matched Ovechkin's draft as the first overall pick 21 years ago in the 2004 NHL draft Lottery.

Speaking to the media on Sunday, in the presence of his wife Nastya, his mother Tatyana, and his sons Sergei and Ilya, Ovechkin talked about breaking Wayne Gretzky's record.

“It's great,” Ovechkin said, via NHL.com. “It's great for the game. It's great for D.C. It's great for Washington. It's great for us to be involved for this moment ... I'm just happy to be a part of it.”

Many people thought Ovechkin might not break the record this season after he missed 16 games because of a broken left leg. But he returned strong in December to continue the 'Gr8 chase' and finished it on a high note by scoring six goals in five games.