Alexander Ovechkin scoring his 894th goal to tie Wayne Gretzky's record Photo Credit: Monumental Sports Network
By Reice Shipley on

Friday’s matchup between the Washington Capitals and the Chicago Blackhawks brought fans the much-anticipated moment that Alexander Ovechkin tied the NHL record for career goals. And while Ovechkin was rightfully celebrated on social media by viewers watching from home, so was longtime Capitals broadcaster Joe Beninati, who had the privilege of calling the once-in-a-lifetime moment.

Beninati has been the lead play-by-play man for the Capitals since 1994, meaning that he has been on the call of the vast majority of Ovechkin’s goals throughout his legendary career. And understandably, he was incredibly vocal about wanting to call Ovechkin tying — and eventually surpassing — Gretzky.

Ovechkin went into Friday night’s game two short of Gretzky’s record. He got to within one of one of Gretzky in the first period. Then in the third period, Ovechkin broke a 3-3 tie with the 894th goal of his career, tying Gretzky’s mark.

“Here is a pass,” said Beninati on the call of the game. “Ovechkin scores! The Great 8 stands side-by-side with the Great One!”

After the goal was scored, there was a delay in the action for around three minutes as Ovechkin embraced his teammates, signaled to his family, and showed respect to Wayne Gretzky in attendance before heading to the bench.

Throughout the celebration, Beninati largely remained silent to let the moment breathe, only adding in commentary in the exact right moments to relay just how important a moment this truly was.

“High fives for the family,” added Beninati. “And a huge round for a Capital One Arena crowd that can’t get enough. Wayne Gretzky has held the record alone since March of 1994. He now has company as he takes his seat. His wife Nastya (Shubskaya), the boys Sergei and Ilya, and every single Capitals fan in Caps nation inside Capital One Arena and around the world salutes this man.”

Media members and fans alike took notice of Beninati’s efforts in letting the moment largely be about Ovechkin, praising him for the call.

“Having Joe Beninati calling these goals during Ovi’s chase rocks so hard,” wrote SportsNet’s Dimitri Filipovic on X.

“Nobody does it better than Joe Beninati,” wrote Jordan Demcher, better known as Jordie Barstool of Barstool Sports on X.

“Wonderful call,” wrote Frank Marchese of 97.3 The Fan in San Diego. “A meaningful moment that every broadcaster wishes they have the fortune to find themselves in and Joe Beninati nailed it. Great call, let the moment breathe, good on the color guy for not stepping on the silence. Perfect job!”

“An extraordinary moment in sports history with a call to match. Joe Beninati nailed this,” wrote Joel Sebastianelli of Local 4 WDIV, an NBC affiliate in Detroit.

Now, Ovechkin will turn his attention to claiming the record for his own. The next opportunity for him to do so comes on Sunday when the Capitals take on the New York Islanders. But if Ovechkin would rather break the record on home ice in Washington, his next game at home will come next Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Regardless of when the record-breaking goal comes, you can certainly expect an excellent call from Beninati if this most recent call from him is any indication.

About Reice Shipley

Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.

View all posts by Reice Shipley