Alex Ovechkin breaks Wayne Gretzky's goals record: Which other NHL records will likely never be broken?

Sunday marked a monumental day in the history of professional hockey, as Washington Capitals legend Alex Ovechkin became the NHL's all-time leader in goals scored, surpassing Wayne Gretzky when he scored the 895th goal of his career against the New York Islanders. The record puts an exclamation mark on Ovechkin's future Hall of Fame career, in large part because he has surpassed Gretzky's old mark that had stood for a quarter century -- one that proved seemingly impossible to reach, much less match and surpass.

While Ovechkin, 39, has successfully reached the all-time goals mark, there are a number of entries in the NHL record book that are likely frozen in time, including one that belongs to Gretzky. Here is a look at some of professional hockey's unreachable records, including several that remain in The Great One's possession.

Alex Ovechkin's 895 goals (and counting)

After tying Wayne Gretzky's all-time record of 894 career goals, Ovechkin took sole possession of the all-time mark on Sunday by scoring his 895th goal on a power play in the second period against the New York Islanders. Ovechkin received a personal congratulations from Gretzky, as the Washington Capitals' icon now stands alone among scorers in NHL history.

With five games left to play in the 2024-25 season, Ovechkin could even reach 900 career goals before the end of the season, and theoretically will have a shot at 1,000 career goals should he continue playing into his forties.

Alex Ovechkin passes Wayne Gretzky: Which player will be next to challenge the all-time goals record?

Wayne Gretzky's 2,857 career points

Although Gretzky has now lost the all-time goals record to Ovechkin, his record for the most points in NHL history will likely never be touched. Gretzky had 2,857 points in his career (894 goals, 1,963 assists), a mark that blows away all other players in league history. Jaromir Jagr is second all-time with 1,921, and Sidney Crosby is the all-time leader among active players with 1,682. For reference, Ovechkin has 1,619 career points after Sunday's game against the Islanders.

92 goals in 80 games - Gretzky

A significant chunk of Gretzky's previous all-time high mark for goals in a career was comprised of his unparalleled 1981-82 season with the Edmonton Oilers, in which he scored 92 goals in 80 games. Not only has no player in the 21st century come close to that mark, but they haven't even surpassed 70 goals in a single season. The greatest single-season goal total since 2000 belongs to Auston Matthews, who scored 69 during the 2023-24 season.

The 1981-82 season also saw Gretzky become the fastest player to ever reach 50 goals in a season, a feat which took him just 39 games.

163 assists, 215 points in 80 games - Gretzky

A few years after his 92-goal triumph, Gretzky set another record that likely will never be touched when he set the single-season records for most assists and most points during the 1985-86 campaign. Gretzky had 163 assists and 215 points (52 goals, 163 assists) in 80 games, marking another historically outstanding statistical season during a period in which Gretzky won four Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers.

10 points in one game - Darryl Sittler (Feb. 7, 1976)

The only double-digit scoring burst by any single player in NHL history came on February 7, 1976, when the Toronto Maple Leafs clobbered the Boston Bruins in a 11-4 blowout. Darryl Sittler was credited with 10 points (six goals, four assists), breaking the NHL record for points in one game that had previously stood at eight. The original record was set by Maurice Richard in 1944 and then matched by Bert Olmstead in 1954.

76 goals by a rookie - Teemu Selanne (1992-93)

Teemu Selanne's rookie year of 1992-93 showed he was bound for greatness, as The Finnish Flash scored 76 goals (132 points) to set the all-time record for goals by an NHL rookie. Selanne had been drafted No. 10 overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 1988, but spent several years playing in Finland before announcing his arrival to the NHL in historic fashion.

Selanne would win the Calder Memorial Trophy for the NHL's top rookie, and he would go on to become one of the greatest to ever play the game over his 21-year career. Selanne was named to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017, and was named one of the NHL's 100 Greatest Players the same year.

Selanne's record comes with somewhat of an asterisk, as Gretzky had set a rookie record 137 points (51 goals, 86 assists) in 79 games in 1979-80, but the NHL did not consider Gretzky a rookie due to his experience playing for the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association.

139 points by a defenseman - Bobby Orr (1970-71)

The greatest season by a defenseman in NHL history has belonged to Bobby Orr for more than half a century, as his 1970-71 campaign remains the standard for blueliners. Orr had an incomparable 139 points (37 goals, 102 assists) while also setting a record for plus-minus (+124) by any position player. Paul Coffey is the only player to have ever challenged Orr's mark, and no other defenseman has eclipsed the 110-point mark.

Alex Ovechkin stats, records: A look at the Capitals star by the numbers after passing Wayne Gretzky

502 consecutive games by a goaltender - Glenn Hall

Among NHL goaltenders, no one is a greater or more notorious iron man than Glenn Hall. Between 1955 and 1963, Hall played in 502 consecutive games, a feat made even more impressive by the relative lack of protective equipment (including masks and helmets) for goalies during that era.

Hall was more than just remarkably durable, as he was also one of the greatest goalies of his generation and was credited with developing the butterfly style of goalkeeping, earning the nickname "Mr. Goalie" during his career. Hall won two Stanley Cups and was named to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975.

691 wins by a goaltender - Martin Brodeur

One of the other all-time untouchable marks by an NHL goalie belongs to Martin Brodeur, who finished his career with a record 691 wins in 1,266 games played. Brodeur spent virtually his entire career with the New Jersey Devils, winning the Stanley Cup three times while also winning two Olympic gold medals for Team Canada.

11 Stanley Cup wins - Henri Richard

In all likelihood, not a single player in the NHL will ever be able to hold a candle to Henri Richard's all-time high mark for the most Stanley Cup wins by a single player. Richard won 11 total Stanley Cups as part of the Montreal Canadiens' dynasty, including five in his first five seasons from 1955-56 to 1959-60. "Pocket Rocket" finished his career with the most championships by any individual player in a North American sports league, a record he shares with NBA icon Bill Russell.