NHL goaltender Jordan Binnington tries to STEAL Alex Ovechkin's record puck after 900th goal

An NHL star attempted to steal Alex Ovechkin's record-breaking puck, after the Washington Capitals star became the first NHL player to score 900 goals.

Ovechkin, 40, etched his name into the history books on Wednesday night during Washington's 6-1 win over St Louis Blues, after scoring during the second period.

The veteran star intercepted a pass from Blues goalie Jordan Binnington before eventually sliding a backhand shot into the net for his 900th NHL goal.

As the stadium erupted and the Capitals celebrated with Ovechkin, Binnington was seen nudging the puck of his goal, picking it up and placing it in the back of his pants.

Though the St Louis star thought he'd got away with it, officials quickly spoke to Binnington. He was then seen retrieving the item from his pocket and handing it over.

After the game, Binnington did not speak to reporters. Meanwhile, Ovechkin did take time to speak to media however did not address the potential puck stealing.

'Yeah, I just saw it. I'm not going to comment,' he said. 

While Ovechkin opted not to discuss the matter, the same could not be said for NHL fans across social media, who vented their feelings after the incident went viral. 

Taking to X, one wrote: 'Number 50 trying to swipe a piece of history. Bless his heart, but Ovi's been collecting these for 20 years, he knows where the pucks go'.

'What a sportsman Binnington continues to be', one rather sarcastically said.

Another said: 'Only puck he attempted to save last night'.

However, some fans saw the funny side to the incident. Taking to X, another said: 'You can't blame him for wanting a piece of greatness'. 

Speaking to reporters about his record-breaking game, Ovechkin said: 'A couple of days ago somebody asked me about, 'Do you think about it?' Of course. 

'It's a huge number,' Ovechkin said. 'No one ever did it in NHL history and be the first player ever do it is a special moment.' 

Ovechkin's NHL career got off to a bit of a false start. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Capitals, only for his first season to be delayed a year due to a lockout.

When he did arrive, he did so with style. In his debut with the Caps, Ovechkin scored two goals against Pascal Leclaire in a 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

He'd earn his first NHL hat trick on January 13 in a game against the Anaheim Ducks - scoring goals No. 28, 29, and 30 in his career.

The next game, a road game against the Wayne Gretzky-coached Phoenix Coyotes, Ovechkin scored arguably the greatest goal in the history of the NHL.

In a sequence where words cannot accurately portray the majesty of the action, Ovechkin raced up ice, deked around a Coyotes defenseman, and lost his edge - falling to the ice. 

As he fell onto his back, he managed to get the backside of his stick blade on the puck and shoved it toward the open goal mouth - which it slid straight into.

That season, he won the Calder Trophy - given to the top rookie in the league - as he beat out career rival Sidney Crosby for the honor.  

Ovechkin hit 100 goals on October 12, 2007 in a game against the New York Rangers. Just over two years later, he'd pass 200 goals against the Los Angeles Kings in February of 2009. 

Two years after that, in April 2011, he'd hit 300 against the New Jersey Devils. Goal No. 400 arrived in December 2013 against the Carolina Hurricanes.

It took a little over two years after that to hit 500 - doing so in January 2016 against the Ottawa Senators.

He became the 20th player in NHL history to cross the 600 goal threshold on March 12, 2018 against the Winnipeg Jets. Just weeks before a global pandemic halted the sports world, on February 22, 2020, Ovechkin scored career goal 700 against the Devils.

Then, goal No. 800 came against the Chicago Blackhawks on December 13, 2022, before goal No. 900 which came against the St Louis Blues on Wednesday night.