Alexander Ovechkin’s historic charge to surpass Wayne Gretzky as the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer brought excitement and anticipation to hockey fans everywhere. While his 895th goal cemented “The Great Eight” at the top of the scoring mountain, a lesser-known storyline emerged featuring Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord. Despite facing Ovechkin in four career matchups, Daccord has never allowed the Capitals superstar to light the lamp while he was actually in net.
It’s a rare accomplishment to keep Ovechkin off the scoresheet—he has scored on 183 different netminders across his career. Yet Daccord stands out as part of a small group of goalies who remain unscored-upon by Ovi. The kicker? Ovechkin did manage to score in two of those four contests, including both games this season, but each was an empty-net dagger scored after Daccord left his crease.
Capitals’ edge over the Kraken
Although Ovechkin failed to beat Daccord directly, the Washington Capitals still got the better of Seattle in three of the four meetings. During the two matchups in the 2024-25 season, both games were close enough that the Kraken pulled their netminder late in a bid to close the gap. Unfortunately for Seattle, Ovechkin took advantage of each empty-net opportunity to seal victories for the Capitals—another example of how he’s proven to be one of the most clutch scorers in NHL history.
For the Kraken, it’s a testament to the team’s competitiveness that they forced those tight situations. Even in just their fourth NHL season, the Kraken continue to show improvement, often staying within striking distance of more established franchises. While moral victories aren’t the goal, watching their goaltender routinely turn aside scoring chances from the all-time leading scorer in league history is something fans can rally around.
Daccord’s performance highlights his potential as part of Seattle’s goaltending pipeline. In each of his starts against the Capitals, he faced a barrage of shots, with Ovechkin firing multiple heavy attempts—14 total across the four games. In every single instance, Daccord held firm. His calm, positional style came through in big moments, denying an NHL legend who’s practically made his living by beating goalies from the left circle and elsewhere on the ice.
A rare feat worth celebrating
For Kraken faithful, Daccord’s perfect record against Ovechkin offers a fun storyline—especially when talking about a Hall-of-Fame-bound scorer who seems to find a way to beat everyone else. It’s also a nice reminder of how quickly a young franchise can build its own share of fascinating anecdotes. Though the Caps walked away with the W in most of their head-to-heads, this smaller piece of history belongs to Seattle and its netminder.
As Daccord continues to develop and the Kraken grow as a competitive force, fans can look back on this stat with pride. While Ovechkin’s legend continues to grow with each passing season, he’s still searching for that first goal against Joey Daccord in the net. And in a league where almost everyone has been bested by “Ovi,” that’s something worth cheering about in the Emerald City.