While the 2025-2026 Washington Capitals season has not been nearly the blustery excitement of last year, and Ovi has not continued the voracious goal scoring tear that has defined most of his career, there have still been some shining moments to celebrate.
Typically, I’ve cataloged many of them on this blog over the years, as they’ve happened, but just like Ovi, I’ve slowed down a little recently on tallying them up even if I’m still celebrating each one with the same kind of joyous smile I always have.
In a 6-4 wing against the Philadelphia Flyers, Ovi reached the 30 goal milestone for an NHL-record 20th time with tallies #30 and #31 during the game. This is how the record fares against the history of 30 goal seasons:
1 player, Ovechkin, has reached 20 seasons of 30 or more goals all time
3 players, Ovi, Gartner (17), and Jagr (15), have reached 15 or more seasons of 30 or more goals
29 players have reached 10 or more seasons of 30 goals or more
167 players have reached 5 or more seasons of 30 goals or more
428 players have achieved at least 2 seasons of 30 or goals or more
Consistency is the key for Ovechkin as the historical view demonstrates as you drill down further.
With a career more than double the length of Bossy, those two are the only one’s who’s 30 goal output represents more than 90% of their careers, joined Garnter and Bobby Hull as the only ones to achieve it over 80% of the time.
100% or 10 of 10 seasons, Mike Bossy
95.24% or 20 of 21 so far, Ovechkin
89.47% or 17 of 19, Mike Gartner
82.25 or 13 of 16, Bobby Hull
77.78% or 14 of 18, Marcel Dionne
72.22% or 13 of 18, Phil Esposito and Mats Sundin
70% or 40 of 20, Wayne Gretzky
68.42% or 13 of 19, Brett Hull
66.67% 10 of 15, Darryl Sutter
64.71 or 11 of 17, Jari Kurri and Mario Lemieux
63.16% or 12 of 19, Luc Robitaille
62.5% or 15 of 24, Jaromir Jagr and 10 of 16, Dale Hawerchuk and Joe Mullen
61.90% or 13 of 21 so far, Sydney Crosby
61.11% or 11 of 18, Bryan Trottier
60% or 12 of 29, Jarome Iginla
58.82% or 10 of 17, Gilbert Perrault
57.89% or 11 of 19, Dino Ciccarelli
57.14% or 12 of 21, Brendan Shanahan
55.56% or 10 of 18, Sergi Federov and Frank Mahovlich and so far Steven Stamkos
53.85 or 14 of 26, Gordie Howe
50% or 11 of 22, Steve Yzerman
47.62% or 10 of 21, Teemu Selanne
44% or 11 of 25, Mark Messier
Over 18 seasons of Ovi’s career (excluding two anomalous shortened seasons), on average 34 players or 4.16% of goal scorers achieved 30 or more goals per season
6.54% or 51 of 780 goal scorers in 2021-22, inc Ovi’s 50 at #4
6.27% or 47 of 749 goal scorers in 2023-24, inc Ovi’s 31, T36
6.24% or 42 of 673 goal scorers in 2006-07, inc Ovi’s 46 at #4
6.23% or 46 of 738 goal scorers in 2024-25, inc Ovi’s 44, T3
5.92% or 54 of 760 goal scorers in 2022-23, inc Ovi’s 42, T9
5.88% or 43 of 731 goal scorers in 2018-19, inc Ovi’s league leading 51
5.65% or 39 of 690 goal scorers in 2008-09, inc Ovi’s league leading 56
4.41% or 32 of 726 goal scorers in 2017-18, inc Ovi’s lead leading 49
4.24% or 30 of 708 goal scorers in 2011-2012, inc Ovi’s 38 at #5
4.14% or 29 of 700 goal scorers in 2010-2011, inc. Ovi’s 32 at #14
4.11% or 28 of 681 goal scorers in 2007-08, inc Ovi’s league leading 65
4.03% or 28 of 694 goal scorers in 2015-16, inc Ovi’s league leading 50
3.76% or 26 of 692 goal scorers in 2016-17, inc Ovi’s 33, T13
3.49% or 24 of 688 goal scorers in 2009-10, inc Ovi’s 50 at #3
2.96% or 21 of 701 goal scorers in 2013-14, inc Ovi’s league leading 51
2.40% or 17 of 711 goal scorers in 2019-20, inc Ovi’s league lead tying 48
2.18% or 15 of 688 goal scorers in 2014-15, inc Ovi’s league leading 53
0.73% or 5 of 687 goal scorers in 2020-21, which was Ovi’s lone miss during the Covid shortened season with 24, T13
0.16% 1 of 626 goal scorers 2012-13, defined by Ovi’s league leading 32 during the lockout shortened season
Comparatively, the second most proficient 30 goal season scorer, Mike Gartner, comes from the era just before Ovechkin, where (excluding one anomalous shortened seasons), on average 51 players or 9.75% of goal scorers achieved 30 or more goals per season.
15.4% 75 of 487 goal scorers in 1981-82, in Gartner’s 35, T40
11.76% or 60 of 510 goal scorers in 1983-84, inc Gartner’s 40, T19
11.66% or 54 of 463 goal scorers in 1979-80, inc Gartner’s 36, T28
11.45% or 57 of 498 goal scorers in 1985-86, inc Gartner’s 35, T34
11.39% or 67 of 588 goal scorers in 1992-93, inc Gartner’s 45, T19
11.36% or 55 of 484 goal scorers in 1980-81, inc Gartner’s 48 at #10
11.25% or 56 of 498 goal scorers in 1984-85, inc Gartner’s 50 at #9
10.83% or 55 of 508 goal scorers in 1989-90, inc Gartner’s 45, T9
10.59% or 54 of 510 goal scorers in1988-89, inc Gartner’s 33, T36
10.39% or 51 of 491 goal scorers in 1982-83, inc Gartner’s 38, T24
10.04% or 54 of 538 goal scorers in 1987-88, inc Gartner’s 48, T9
9.7% or 49 of 505 goal scorers in 1986-87, inc Gartner’s 41, T11
9.4% or 52 of 553 goal scorers in 1991-92, inc Gartner’s 40, T14
8.69% or 55 of 633 goal scorers in 1993-94, inc. Gartner’s 34, T35
6.88% or 43 of 625 goal scorers in 1995-96, inc Gartner’s 35, T28
5.98% or 39 of 518 goal scorers in 1990-91, inc Gartner’s 49 at #5
5.26% or 32 of 608 goal scorers in 1996-97, inc Gartner’s 31, T24
3.52% or 21 of 597 goal scorers in 1997-98, which was Gartner’s third miss with 12, T173
0.729% or 4 of 549 goal scorers in 1994-95, which was Gartner second miss during the lockout shortened season with 12, T85
Needless to say, the two era’s are difficult to compare. 11 of Gartner’s 19 seasons 10% or more of the goal scorers reached the 30-goal threshold, while this never happened during Ovi’s career. Garner’s era average of 9.75% of players reaching the 30-goal threshold is 49% higher than the single best season of 6.54% during Ovi’s era. 11 of Gartner’s 19 seasons 54 or more players reached the 30-goal threshold, which only happened a single time during Ovi’s career, while during Gartner’s era the 51 average was only reached twice during Ovi’s.
Ovi has been been far-and-away the most consistent 30-goal scorer for the franchise during his tenure with the team, were in 15 of 19 seasons he was the sole 30 goal (or more) producer on the team
13.04% or 3 of 23 goal scorers in 2024-25, including Ovi’s team leading 44
11.11% or 3 of 27 goal scorers in 2006-07, including Ovi’s team leading 46
10.71% or 3 of 28 goal scorers in 2009-10, including Ovi’s team leading 50
9.52% or 2 of 21 goal scorers in 2016-17, including Ovi’s team lead tying 33
5% or 1 of 20 goal scorers in 2019-20, only Ovi’s team leading 48
4.76% or 1 of 21 goal scorers in 2017-18, only Ovi’s team leading 49
4.76% or 1 of 21 goal scorers 2014-15, only Ovi’s league leading 53
4.76% or 1 of 21 goal scorers 2012-13, only Ovi’s league leading 32 in the shortened season
4.54% or 1 of 22 goal scorers in 2011-12, only Ovi’s team leading 38
4.54% or 1 of 22 goal scorers in 2008-09, only Ovi’s lead leading 56
4.34% or 1 of 23 goal scorers in 2018-19, only Ovi’s team leading 51
4.34% or 1 of 23 goal scorers in 2015-16, only Ovi’s team leading 51
4.34% or 1 of 23 goal scorers in 2005-06, only Ovi’s team leading 52
4.16% or 1 of 24 goal scorers in 2023-24, only Ovi’s team leading 31
3.84% or 1 of 26 goal scorers in 2022-23, only Ovi’s team leading 42
3.84% or 1 of 26 goal scorers in 2007-08, only Ovi’s league leading 65
3.57% or 1 of 28 goal scorers 2013-14, only Ovi’s league leading 51
3.57% or 1 of 28 goal scorers in 2010-11, only Ovi’s team leading 32
3.26% or 1 of 31 goal scorers in 2021-22, only Ovi’s team leading 50
Which, translates to Ovi carrying 20% or more of the teams goals in 8 of those 19 seasons, and only missing the 15% mark 3 times
27.31% or 65 of 238 team goals in 2007-08
22.67% or 51 of 225 team goals in 2013-14
22.61% or 52 of 230 team goals in 2005-06
22.36% or 53 of 237 team goals in 2014-15
21.92% or 32 of 146 team goals in 2012-13 shortened season
20.89% or 56 of 268 team goals in 2008-09
20.34% or 48 of 236 team goals in 2019-20
20.16% or 50 of 249 team goals in 2015-16
19.66% or 46 of 234 team goals in 2006-07
19.14% or 49 of 256 team goals in 2017-18
18.61% or 51 of 274 team goals in 2018-19
17.92% or 50 of 279 team goals in 2021-22
17.43% or 38 of 218 team goals in 2011-12
16.6% or 42 of 253 team goals in 2022-23
15.97% or 50 of 313 team goals in 2009-10
15.38% or 44 of 286 team goals in 2024-25
14.61% or 32 of 219 team goals in 2010-11
14.35% or 31 of 216 team goals in 2023-24
12.64% or 33 of 261 team goals in 2016-17
The one exception was the 2020-21 shortened season
0% of the 22 goal scorers reached the mark, Ovi was one of 2 players to breach the 20 goal mark, with 24
12.77% or 24 of 188 team goals, representing Ovi’s only 30 goal season miss
While Gartner might have the second most career 30-goal seasons, he was never relied on by his teams in the same way to be the primary goal scoring threat. Mike Bossy, on the other hand, might have had a substantially shorter career, but was relied on to drive his teams scoring, similar to Washington’s use of Ovi, having reached the 30 goal milestone 100% of the time, better than Gartner’s nearly 90%, in the same era that Gartner played. Here’s how Bossy’s 30 goal seasons played out for the Islanders:
28.57% or 6 of 21 goal scorers in 1977-78, including Bossy’s team leading 53
25% or 5 of 20 goal scorers in 1978-79, including Bossy’s league leading 69
21.74% or 5 out of 23 goal scorers in 1980-81, including Bossy’s league leading 68
20% or 4 out of 20 goal scorers in 1981-82, including Bossy’s team leading 64
13.64% or 3 out of 22 goal scorers in 1982-83, including Bossy’s team leading 60
11.53% or 3 of 26 goal scorers in 1984-85, including Bossy’s team leading 58
10.71% or 3 of 28 goal scorers in 1985-86, including Bossy’s team leading 61
9.09% or 2 of 22 goal scorers in 1983-84, including Bossy’s team leading 51
8.33% or 2 of 24 goal scorers in 1979-80, including Bossy’s team leading 51
8.33% or 2 of 24 goal scorers 1986-87, including Bossy’s team lead tying 38
Bossy was never the sole 30 goal scorer for his team during his career, and was one of five 30 goal scorers on the team 3 times. Comparatively, Ovi shared the milestone with at least 3 other players 4 of 19 seasons, while Bossy had that honor during 6 of his 10.
19.87% or 60 of 302 team goals in 1982-83
19.27% or 69 of 358 team goals in 1978-79
19.15% or 68 of 355 team goals in 1980-81
18.65% or 61 of 327 team goals in 1985-86
18.15% or 51 of 281 team goals in 1979-80
16.88% or 64 of 385 team goals in 1981-82
16.81% or 58 of 345 team goals in 1984-85
15.87% or 53 of 334 team goals in 1977-78
14.28% or 51 of 357 team goals in 1983-84
13.62% or 38 of 279 team goals in 1986-87
Bossy never reached the 20% mark for team scoring in his career, although he came close 3 times breaching 19%, Ovi broke 19% of team scoring 10 different seasons in total, carrying the team with his scoring at a much higher rate in an era with lower scoring overall than what Bossy was tasked with.
In addition to the Ovechkin extending is 30-goal season record, he also managed to extend some other records as well:
928 All Situations Goals Regular Season, #1 All Time, +34 Wayne Gretzky 894
141 Game Winning Goals Regular Season, #1 All Time, +6 Jaromir Jagr 135
7080 Shots on goal Regular Season, #1 All Time, +871 Ray Borque 6209
And added to his stats on:
250 Game Winning Points, Regular Season, #8 All time, -1 Joe Thorton 251
183 Multi goal games regular season, #2 All time, -4 Wayne Gretzky 189
466 Multi point games regular season, #11 All time, -4 Ron Francis 470
1055 Even Strength Points Regular Season, #8 All Time, -22 Steve Yzerman 1077
592 Even Strength Goals Regular Season, #2 All Time, -25 Wayne Gretzky 617
862 Home All Situations Points Regular Season, #12 All time, -34 Phil Esposito 896
453 Home All Situations Goals Regular Season #2 All Time, -39 Wayne Gretzky 492
1682 All Situations Points Regular Season, #10 All Time, -41 Mario Lemieux 1723
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