Alex Ovechkin scored his 895th career goal—and celebrated in a truly unexpected way. Why did he suddenly slide on his belly after scoring the most memorable goal of his life? Now, he’s revealed the reason—and fans can’t stop laughing at the explanation.
Ovechkin has been the talk of the sports world over the last few days, with everyone inspired by his performance and the historic milestones he’s reached. This past weekend, he scored the 893rd and 894th goals of his career, tying none other than Wayne Gretzky for the all-time NHL goals record.
Given how well he’s been playing—and the buzz surrounding him and the Capitals—it felt like only a matter of time before he surpassed The Great One. And on Sunday, against the Islanders, it finally happened.
Alex Ovechkin explains his celly
Alex Ovechkin cemented his place in hockey history with the 895th goal of his career, officially breaking Gretzky’s all-time record. Then came the celebration. We’ve never seen him do it before, but as he etched his name atop the record books, he suddenly dove onto the ice with his arms stretched out to the sides. His now-iconic belly-flop was as unexpected as it was epic—but apparently, it wasn’t exactly planned.
After the game, Alex Ovechkin explained the moment—and, surprisingly, it had a lot to do with the ice.
“Ice was bad today, so I fell,” he said, per RMNB. “I’m pretty sure it’s a pretty cool moment. It was cool.”
It sure was. And if you know your Alex Ovechkin history, it might’ve triggered some déjà vu. After the Capitals won the Cup in 2018, Ovechkin and his teammates famously swam in a Georgetown fountain—and the movement looked awfully familiar.
“That looked very much like a fountain dive,” said T.J. Oshie. “I’m not trademarking it right now, but it was a fountain-esque dive that he did there over the blue line.”
“Almost,” Alex Ovechkin said of the comparison.
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