Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals is closing in on the NHL goals record of 894 held by Wayne Gretzky.
After a hat trick on Sunday, Ovechkin has 882 goals and needs 13 to break the record.
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Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin (8) watches an airborne puck after a face-off during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates after his goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Edmonton Oilers, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin reacts during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Edmonton Oilers, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates his empty net goal with defenseman Matt Roy (3) during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) skates with the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Winnipeg Jets, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) reacts after his goal next to center Dylan Strome (17) during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Winnipeg Jets, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) is congratulated after scoring against the Seattle Kraken during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin, second from right, celebrates his empty net goal with teammates during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. The Capitals won 4-1. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates his empty net goal with teammates during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. The Capitals won 4-1. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates his empty net goal with right wing Tom Wilson (43) during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. The Capitals won 4-1. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) shoots the puck as Minnesota Wild defenseman Declan Chisholm (47) defends during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates his goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates after his empty-net goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs during third-period NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Detroit Red Wings during the first period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
FILE - Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin looks on during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)
FILE - Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) shoots the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, Nov. 6, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)
Ovechkin entered the season 42 short of breaking the regular-season record by “The Great One” that long seemed unapproachable. The 39-year-old Russian is in his 20th NHL season and was on pace to get to 895 in February before breaking his left leg in a shin-on-shin collision in November. He missed 16 games but resumed his pursuit at Toronto in the Capitals' first game out of the Christmas break.
Ovechkin scored his third goal of the game against Edmonton by putting the puck into an empty net from 139 feet away. He also scored at even strength and on the power play in a 7-3 rout of the Oilers.
Ovechkin already owns the NHL records for power-play goals and shots on goal.
He also has 135 game-winning goals, tied for the most with Jaromir Jagr. Ovechkin has scored on 181 goaltenders and counting, breaking Jagr's record by beating Leevi Merilainen of the Senators for No. 874. Ovechkin has 178 multi-goal games, second to Gretzky (189).
Ovechkin earlier this season became the 60th player to record 700 career assists. He joined Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Jagr, Marcel Dionne and Phil Esposito as the only players with 700 goals and 700 assists.
Ovechkin, after climbing past Mike Gartner (708), Esposito (717), Dionne (731), Brett Hull (741) and Jagr (766), scored goal No. 802 on Dec. 23, 2022, to move into second behind Gretzky (894).
Gretzky has held the record since scoring his 802nd goal on March 23, 1994, to pass Howe. He added 92 more before retiring in 1999 after a total of 1,487 games over 20 seasons.
Gretzky holds 55 NHL records and even if his goals mark falls to Ovechkin — which he has said he is excited about — two seem truly untouchable: 2,857 total points and 1,963 assists, which is more than anyone else has in goals and assists combined.
If adding playoff goals, which do not count toward the record, Gretzky has the most of those, as well, with 122. Ovechkin has 72. Gretzky also had another 56 in the World Hockey Association regular season and playoffs, while Ovechkin has 57 from his time in the Russia-based KHL.
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Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin (8) watches an airborne puck after a face-off during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates after his goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Edmonton Oilers, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin reacts during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Edmonton Oilers, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates his empty net goal with defenseman Matt Roy (3) during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) skates with the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Winnipeg Jets, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) reacts after his goal next to center Dylan Strome (17) during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Winnipeg Jets, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) is congratulated after scoring against the Seattle Kraken during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin, second from right, celebrates his empty net goal with teammates during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. The Capitals won 4-1. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates his empty net goal with teammates during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. The Capitals won 4-1. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates his empty net goal with right wing Tom Wilson (43) during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. The Capitals won 4-1. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) shoots the puck as Minnesota Wild defenseman Declan Chisholm (47) defends during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates his goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates after his empty-net goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs during third-period NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Detroit Red Wings during the first period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
FILE - Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin looks on during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)
FILE - Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) shoots the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, Nov. 6, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)
BANGKOK & SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 24, 2025--
Ant International, a leading global digital payment, digitisation and financial technology provider, today announced the appointment of Worachat Luxkanalode, as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of 2C2P. Mr. Worachat will assume the role in April 2025, subject to regulatory approval.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250224298273/en/
In his role, Worachat will oversee the overall business strategy and operations of 2C2P, spearheading the company’s strategic upgrade from mainly serving enterprise customers to businesses of all sizes including SMEs across the Southeast Asia region. 2C2P is part of Antom, Ant International's global payment and digitisation solutions provider, and currently serves leading players in travel, online retail, entertainment and more.
Gary Liu, General Manager of Antom, Ant International, said, “Antom and 2C2P have built on our joint innovation and ecosystem reach to serve leading global and local merchants, driving their transformation and growth in Southeast Asia. Amidst the region’s evolving digital transformation and payments landscape, Antom and 2C2P will remain at the forefront of this evolution as one unified team. Our shared mission is to empower merchants of all sizes with cutting-edge solutions and world-class services, continuously fueling their growth so that they can thrive in a digital era.”
“Worachat is a fintech veteran with proven experience and track records with payments, digital banking, and driving sustainable business growth. I am confident that 2C2P’s legacy of innovation will thrive under Worachat’s leadership, expanding our services to cover more regional SMEs on top of enterprise customers,” said Mr. Liu.
Mr. Worachat is currently with SEA leading superapp Grab, serving as the Managing Director of Grab Thailand. He joined in 2019 and held several roles including Country Head of Grab Financial Group – Thailand and Executive Director of Grab Thailand. Before joining Grab, Worachat held key senior executive positions at leading Thai and international banks and financial institutions for over 17 years, and is among the pioneers of digital banking in Thailand.
“I’m thrilled to join Ant International and lead 2C2P at such an exciting time of transformation. As we continue strengthening our position in Southeast Asia’s payments landscape, my focus will be on driving a strategic transition to better serve regional SMEs alongside our enterprise customers by standing on the strong foundation built by 2C2P's current leadership, especially by its visionary founder Aung,” said Worachat.
“2C2P will integrate with Antom more deeply, becoming an integral part of the innovative full-stack services Antom offers to all of its global merchants. Together, we will deliver more tailored and efficient payment, digitisation and financial services that empower businesses of all sizes in this region to thrive in the digital economy,” said Worachat.
2C2P was founded by Aung Kyaw Moe in Bangkok, Thailand in 2003. In April 2022, Ant International, previously Ant Group’s International Business Group, made a strategic investment in 2C2P and the two companies started to demonstrate strong synergies by integrating products and keeping innovating at the forefront of the payment industry through close collaboration between the two teams.
In the past two years, 2C2P’s annual acquiring payment volume has nearly doubled, and the total payment volume (TPV) generated from Antom core merchants served by the two companies through strategic collaboration has grown more than ten times.
The robust growth came from various sectors including eCommerce, retail, airlines, online travel agencies (OTA), hospitality, food and beverages (F&B), digital content, and online-to-offline (O2O), across the SEA markets, including Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Several innovative initiatives such as the Antom Business Account, which allows merchants to collect payments and make local and cross-border payouts seamlessly with a single account, and 2C2P’s integration with Ant International’s Platform Tech, which enables merchants to make cross-border settlements efficiently with competitive exchange rates, were co-launched to create value for customers.
“With 2C2P in good hands, I am thrilled to embark on new adventures. I will dedicate some of my time to my research: How Southeast Asia Startups Succeed and Fail—Understanding the Growth Gap. I am also working on my memoir, ‘Red Kite’, recounting my personal and entrepreneurial journey. And I can't wait to spend more time flying my little plane to new places and meeting new people,” Aung Kyaw Moe (Aung) revealed in a LinkedIn post.
Liu thanked Aung for his leadership and dedication alongside the journey and extended gratitude to Aung for his extraordinary contribution, “Under Aung’s visionary leadership, 2C2P has achieved remarkable milestones, solving complex payment challenges for enterprise merchants across the region and earning its reputation as a trusted payments partner. These accomplishments stand as a testament to Aung’s unwavering dedication, strategic foresight, and ability to inspire teams to deliver excellence.”
2C2P Thailand CEO Piyachart Ratanaprasartporn will also be retiring in April. Aung and Piyachart will remain on the board of 2C2P until June 30.
“We wish both Aung and Piyachart continued success and fulfillment in their future endeavours,” said Liu.
About Ant International
Headquartered in Singapore, Ant International powers the future of global commerce with digital innovation for everyone and every business to thrive. In close collaboration with partners, we support merchants of all sizes worldwide to realize their growth aspirations through a comprehensive range of tech-driven digital payment and financial services solutions. To learn more, please visit https://www.antglobal.com/
About Antom
Ant International's Antom is the leading payment and digitisation services provider for merchants around the world. It offers unified, vertical-specific digital payment solutions to serve businesses of all sizes. Antom supports merchants in over 50 countries and regions, enabling them to connect with consumers in more than 200 markets, with the flexibility to accept payments in more than 100 currencies. Beyond payments, it provides digital marketing solutions and merchant digitisation services to help merchant streamline operations and enhance customer engagement. To learn more, please visit https://www.antom.com/
About 2C2P
2C2P is a full-suite payments platform that empowers the world's leading enterprises to securely accept and make payments through one point of integration. Its extensive network spans across online, mobile and offline channels including over 600,000 alternative payment locations, enabling enterprises to reach their customers or recipients anywhere. 2C2P also provides value-added services such as issuing, 3D Secure, bill payments and digital goods to meet every business need.
Headquartered in Singapore with operations across Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, 2C2P is the preferred payments partner for airlines, online marketplaces, retailers and other enterprises. To learn more, please visit https://2c2p.com/
Worachat Luxkanalode (Photo: Business Wire)