Alexander Ovechkin has scored on a lot of goalies.
In fact, the Washington Capitals left winger has scored on more goaltenders (183) than any other NHL player in history.
But entering Sunday afternoon, one of those few who had eluded Ovechkin's wrath was fellow countryman Ilya Sorokin. The Islanders' All-Star netminder had only faced four shots from Ovi in his career, saving all four.
Until today, Ovechkin had never scored on fellow countryman Ilya Sorokin.
— cllct (@cllctMedia) April 6, 2025
That changed with Ovi's record-breaking goal. And Sorokin game Ovi his stick to commemorate it. ???????? pic.twitter.com/SN1YIzHpZI
So, when Ovi did the previously unthinkable, breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record with his 895th career tally, Ovechkin asked for Sorokin's stick, per the Monumental Sports Network broadcast team.
Ovechkin scored the record-breaking goal in the second period, so during intermission heading into the third, Sorokin meandered to the Capitals' locker room, where he presented Ovechkin the stick and took a photo with Ovi and Gretzky.
Ovi is notably a huge collector. Gretzky even said on a TNT broadcast that Ovechkin always asked him for a game-used stick, but Gretzky wouldn't gift him one until he won a Stanley Cup. The day after Washington won the Cup in 2018, Ovechkin called Gretzky asking for the stick.
Something tells us this Sorokin stick might be just as more important to him as a Gretzky one.
Matt Liberman is a reporter and video producer for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.