Watch Alex Ovechkin Make Hockey History

With Wayne Gretzky in the arena, Alex Ovechkin passed his all-time NHL record on Sunday by scoring his 895th goal. The Washington Capitals superstar and captain touched off a celebration in New York when he beat fellow Russian Ilya Sorokin on a power play in the second period against the Islanders to become the greatest scorer in league history, the AP reports. Ovechkin threw his arms into the air, dived forward and slid across the ice as his teammates jumped onto the ice to mob him, per the Washington Post. The Islanders also crossed the ice to congratulate him. Gretzky's record had stood for 31 years.

Play stopped for a ceremony, during which Ovechkin received congratulations from the families of Maurice Richard and Gordie Howe, who held the record before Gretzky, per the Athletic. "I can tell you firsthand, I know how hard it is to get to 894," Gretzky told him, per CBS Sports. He added, "They say records are made to be broken, but I'm not sure who's going to get more goals than that." When it was his turn, Ovechkin thanked his teammates, coaches, fans, and the Capitals organization for supporting him. "We did it boys, we did it," Ovechkin told his teammates. (More Alex Ovechkin stories.)