By Carter Stokes

Saturday, February 22, 2020 is a day that will forever live in the history of the National Hockey League (NHL). Washington Capitals’ legend Alex Ovechkin became the eighth NHL player ever to score 700 career goals in a game in Newark against the New Jersey Devils, when he scored a one-time slap shot from the right point, assisted by teammate Evgeny Kuznetsov from behind the goal. Ovechkin is the first to accomplish this feat since March 1, 2014, when Czech legend Jaromir Jagr became the only non-North American other than Ovechkin to join the coveted 700 goal club.

Out of the eight players to score 700 goals in the NHL, Ovechkin is only the second to score all 700 of his goals for a single franchise. At the age of 34, Ovechkin is also the second-youngest player to accomplish this illustrious feat, only behind Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky, who was 29 years old when he scored his 700th goal. Currently, Gretzky holds the record for the most goals ever scored, with 894, but Ovechkin’s immaculate knack for finding the back of the net puts this record in jeopardy. Ovechkin’s goal-scoring prowess seems to age like fine wine, only getting better with time. Ovechkin became the fastest player to ascend from 600 to 700 goals, doing so in only 154 games.

Before the NHL season was stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ovechkin was on pace to notch yet another 50-goal season this year, and it is not far-fetched to believe that Ovechkin could hypothetically score 900 career goals. Regardless of whether he ultimately catches Gretzky or not, hockey fans have been truly blessed to watch him evolve into one of the all-time great since he was drafted by the Washington Capitals in 2004.

History was again made later that night in a match between the Carolina Hurricanes and Maple Leafs in Toronto, Canada. The Canes’ starting goalie that evening, James Reimer, was injured in a goal mouth collision after colliding with teammate Jaccob Slavin. Backup Petr Mrazek was quickly ousted with an upper body injury when he left the crease to meet Leafs’ Winger Kyle Clifford and was flattened (thus proving why goalies should stay in the crease in all sports).

This called for an in-house emergency goalie: David Ayers. Ayers, a native of Whitby, Ontario, is a 42-year-old Zamboni driver at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. After Reimer’s injury, Ayers suited up in Toronto Maple Leafs pants, a goalie mask from the local American Hockey League team, the Toronto Marlies, and a #90 Hurricanes jersey with a sloppily embroidered “AYERS” on the nameplate. After Mrazek was injured, Ayers was put in goal near the halfway mark of the second period to face some of the best shooters in the league, including Austin Matthews, Mitch Marner, and John Tavares. He allowed two quick goals in the second period but was able to rally heading into third, assuring his team he would get it together. The Canes were able to gather a 6-3 early in the third period, which Ayers was able to ride all the way to becoming the oldest goalie in league history to win his debut at the age of 42.

Between Ovechkin potentially becoming the last player to ever score 700 goals, and emergency goalie David Ayers leading his team to victory in a heated match between two playoff teams, that Saturday afternoon will forever be remembered by hockey fans.

Photos by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images.