John McCreary/NHLI via Getty Images
On Wednesday, Alex Ovechkin became the first player in NHL history to score 900 career goals. That tally came at the expense of Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington, who didn’t do his reputation any favors after he tried (and failed) to steal the puck that made the Capitals legend the inaugural member of that club.
Wayne Gretzky set a number of records that appeared to be unbreakable during his unparalleled NHL career, but last season, he dropped a spot in the history books after Alex Ovechkin scored his 895th goal to take the top spot in that particular category.
The 40-year-old had 897 under his belt when he kicked off his 21st season with the Capitals, and it seemed like it was only a matter of time until he became the first NHL player to hit the 900 mark. He got his 899th in his 1,499th game toward the end of October, but he headed into Wednesday night’s showdown with the Blues riding a four-game scoring drought while inspiring the latest round of Discourse about whether or not his age has caused him to start to decline.
He finally got over the hump, and the many NHL fans who don’t have the highest opinion of St. Louis netminder Jordan Binnington were provided with some more ammunition thanks to what unfolded after that historic goal.
Jordan Binnington tried to steal the puck Alex Ovechkin used to score his 900th goal before the officials made him cough it up
Binnington has been no stranger to controversy since his days in the AHL, as he refused to be demoted to the ECHL when the Blues attempted to send him down in 2017.
He continued to stir the pot on a regular basis after earning a permanent spot on the Blues roster the following year. He caught some heat for throwing a water bottle at Nazem Kadri during a playoff series in 2022, and he has a history of cheap shots and a reputation as a fake tough guy who’s never dropped the gloves despite attempting to start a number of fights.
Binnington was the starter when the Blues faced off against the Capitals on Wednesday night, and he botched an exit pass that led to Washington taking possession in their offensive zone before Ovechkin caught him out of position and fired off the spinning backhander that got him the 900th goal of his career while giving his team a 2-0 lead.
Ovechkin is a bit of a hockey historian, as he has amassed a giant collection of sticks and other pieces of hockey memorabilia he plans to display in a museum in Moscow after he hangs up his skates.
It was only natural that he would want to collect the puck that got him his 900th goal, but he needed some help from a linesman who forced Binnington to take it out of his pads after someone realized the goalie was trying to keep it for himself.
Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington tried to keep the puck for Alex Ovechkin’s 900th goal 😅
Gotta respect the effort 😭 pic.twitter.com/g40TrMVglI
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 6, 2025
Binnington was not available for comment in the wake of his team’s 6-1 loss, and Ovechkin laughed off the attempted heist while declining to share his thoughts.