Gretzky passed Hall of Famer Gordie Howe in 1994, and he held the record for 31 years and 14 days before Ovechkin toppled it on Sunday. The climb for Ovechkin was a long and steady one as the Washington Capitals superstar has cranked out one 40-goal season after another since his rookie season in 2005-06.

Alex Ovechkin's pursuit of Wayne Gretzky's NHL goals record became the talk of the league a time of the season usually reserved only for playoff races