It’s the hockey equivalent of Barry Bonds passing Hank Aaron with his 756th home run, or LeBron James passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with his 38,388th point — a modern legend chasing down one of the most revered records in sports, held by one of the most revered athletes of all time. Here’s a little historical perspective on Ovechkin’s feat:

At the time of publication, Washington Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin is two goals shy of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goal record. As of now, the 39-year-old left wing has 892 scores under his belt; “the Great One” ended his career with 894.

Jan. 11, 2017: Playing his 880th NHL game, Ovechkin becomes the 84th player in League history to reach 1,000 points, and 37th to do so with only one team, when he scores a first-period goal against the Penguins. It's also his 545th goal, passing Maurice Richard for 29th in NHL history.