Wayne Gretzky vs. Alex Ovechkin: A generational battle of NHL legends

With Alex Ovechkin having recently gone past Wayne Gretzky 's all-time NHL career goal mark, fans and analysts have once again brought on one of the greatest debates in hockey: who is the NHL's greatest all-time forward? Alex Ovechkin, with 897 career tallies in 1,491 games, has now officially moved past Wayne Gretzky's formerly believed-to-be-impossible mark of 894. But if you look past goals and have a glance at their overall statistical profiles, things get much more complicated—and much less about mere numbers.

Alex Ovechkin passes Wayne Gretzky in goals, but statistics tell a tale of two careers marked by two distinct periods

Wayne Gretzky has the most points achieved by the NHL's top scorer, with 2,967 points (940 goals, 2,027 assists) in 1,567 games, while Alex Ovechkin has 1,623 points (897 goals, 726 assists) in 1,491 games.

The per-game statistics say it all:

• Wayne Gretzky posted 1.29 assists and 1.89 points per game.
• Alex Ovechkin, being more reliant on his goal-scoring, posted 0.49 assists and 1.09 points per game.
• These numbers confirm Gretzky's one-in-a-lifetime playmaking vision and production.
• Even era-adjusted, Gretzky's offensive point shares (OPS: 223.9) and career point shares (PS: 251.0) are narrowly ahead of Ovechkin's OPS (180.2) and PS (213.8).

Awards and accolades: Gretzky's trophy case unmatched
Where Gretzky stands out is in the awards department:

• 9 Hart Trophies (MVP),
• 10 Art Ross Trophies (scoring title),
• 4 Championships
• and a place in the Hall of Fame.

Ovechkin, though richly decorated, has:

• 3 Hart Trophies,
• 1 Art Ross Trophy,
• 1 Championship
• and 9 Maurice Richard Trophies

Though Ovechkin has obviously dominated as a scorer, Gretzky's impact on the game was more comprehensive and enduring across several categories. Final verdict: greatness measured in more than goals.

Alex Ovechkin's goal-scoring milestone is historic and solidifies his position among the NHL's all-time greats. Yet, Wayne Gretzky's overall scoring, playmaking dominance, and consistent dominance over his generation arguably still rank him at the top of the NHL pantheon.

Also read: Alex Ovechkin isn’t ready to pass the torch, shuts down retirement talk - “I’m not retiring”

Ultimately, this comparison is not about declaring a victor. It's a tribute to two generational stars who redefined hockey in very different ways—Gretzky with grace and precision, Ovechkin with force and determination. One holds the points record, the other the goals record. Both are the embodiment of the entire range of offensive greatness in NHL history.