Alex Ovechkin's NHL record chase provides a Capitals connection for Washington and Moscow

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — The goal horn went off at Bugsy's Pizza Restaurant and Sports Bar as it does every time the Washington Capitals score a goal. Bar manager Armenia Marconi was working downstairs and scurried up to see who it was.

Sure enough, Alex Ovechkin. Goal 891 to move closer to breaking Wayne Gretzky's NHL record. Marconi grabbed the remote control for the goal counter hanging above the bar, and fans inside the popular neighborhood hockey bar who were waiting in anticipation erupted again.

“It was like he scored again,” she said. “As soon as it went down to 4, the whole bar started cheering.”

Firefighter James Mazzara, watching from home, had the same reaction. His firehouse around the corner from the Capitals' arena in Washington also has a counter out front, so he immediately texted a colleague who was working to remind him to update the number.

“We stay on top of it as much as we can,” Mazzara said.

Reminders of Ovechkin's pursuit of Gretzky's record are everywhere in the nation's capital and surrounding suburbs, including more than a dozen “GR8 Chase” goal counters in places like the original Ben's Chili Bowl and the Georgetown Waterfront, where the longtime captain and his teammates celebrated winning the Stanley Cup in 2018 by swimming in fountains. There are also 'ight-up goal counters and messages of encouragement in Ovechkin's hometown of Moscow as his pursuit of the milestone nears its end.

He was at 892, two away from tying Gretzky and three from setting the record going into a home game Friday night against Chicago.

“You’re not stopping it,” said veteran coach Paul Maurice of the Florida Panthers. “He’s going to break the record. It is an incredible record. This is beyond generational because nobody was breaking that record.”

It feels more like matter of when, not if, Ovechkin passes Gretzky's legendary mark of 894, considered by many to be untouchable. The Capitals have seven games left before the playoffs, which means Ovechkin has seven games left because the record reflects only regular-season goals. Otherwise, he would pick up the pursuit next season.

The NHL created an entire microsite to document the chase. The Capitals have an online way for people to check in from where they are watching from. There are free lawn signs to display.

“We knew when thinking about the (Washington area) and even across the world that people would want to be counting together, so digital is one thing, but there’s certainly something special about having the more traditional countdown clock,” said Amanda Tischler, Capitals senior VP of marketing. “(The hope was) these different places across the city would have fun counting down until he hits this major milestone.”

Goal counters went to more than a half-dozen youth hockey rinks in Maryland and northern Virginia, national NHL TV rightsholders ESPN and TNT and to local institutions with Capitals connections, like Ben's Chili Bowl, which has been a local staple since opening in 1958.

“We’re honored to have one of the goal trackers at Ben’s,” said Vida Ali, one of the family members who runs the restaurant. “When the Capitals won the Stanley Cup in 2018, this is one of the places they brought the Stanley Cup. Now another exciting moment, and what an amazing time for the Caps and Ovi.”

The Cup also visited Mazzara's firehouse, DCFD-Engine 2 & Rescue Squad 1, seven years ago, and it's still a place where the Capitals are front of mind. It is so close to the arena that the goal horn can be heard from just outside the front ramp on quiet days.

“We’ll hear that and then we’ll go running in the back or we’ll be watching it — we have a TV in the engine bay — and we’ll watch it and in the distance you can hear the horn go off,” said Mazzara, the rescue squad wagon driver for platoon No. 4. “It’s just so much fun to watch. It’s fun to see the city come together, all the fans. It takes you away from real life. You go out there, and everybody’s enjoying it.”

The mood is likewise festive at Bugsy's, the pizza place opened by former Capitals player Bryan Watson and his wife in 1983 and later rebranded with his nickname from his NHL days. Watson died in 2021, but his memory lives on.

“He’d come up here all the time and just sit down with customers — sometimes you didn’t even know he was the owner, much less a hockey player,” said Marconi, who knew Watson for a decade. “He’s still part of Bugsy’s and people come in all the time asking to see his pictures and the stories that were left behind because of him. There’s a lot of stories that I still tell that he used to tell me, and the connection there, it’s unbreakable.”

The goal counter hangs above the bar with sticks underneath from Hall of Fame legends Jean Beliveau, Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull. Ovechkin passed Beliveau (507 goals) with a hat trick on Feb. 11, 2016; Mikita (541) on Dec. 31 that year; and Hull (610) on Oct. 10, 2018.

Nearby are framed jerseys of Mario Lemieux (690), who Ovechkin passed Jan. 18, 2020, and Mark Messier (694), who was passed 13 days later.

“The town is going crazy,” Marconi said. "There’s people who have been coming here for 30-plus years, but to see the new faces coming in just excited about this, it’s great to be part of it.”

At Ben's, the goal counter is on the back wall above the old-school jukebox and below the sign declaring it “Home of the original chili half-smoke.” And it has become part of the tourist attraction.

“Some are curious if they’re from out of town — or from out of the country, more than out of town — and they don’t know,” Ali said. “They’re like: ‘What’s the countdown?’ What are we counting down?' And then of course those from the (area) are just proud and know and guests have been taking pictures."

Billboards, signs and goal-counters around Moscow carry messages in Cyrillic that say things like “Go ahead, Alex!” or “Sasha, the Motherland is with you.” His hometown team, Dynamo Moscow, has its own arena countdown going with the message in Russian, “Alex, keep pushing.”

"He started his career here, he played for Dynamo in 2012 during the (NHL) lockout, and he is still actively participating in the life of the club,” Dynamo press secretary Nikita Bakhurov said. “We couldn’t stay aside, and spectators see this banner during every match. Everyone is following this record.”

Ovechkin being in this spotlight has become a point of national pride. Ovechkin represented Russia at three Olympics, won gold at the world juniors, played in countless world championships and may still finish his career some day in the KHL.

“He’s a great hockey player indeed,” Moscow resident Yulia Anisimova said. “Even I, who is not following hockey, know him well and have heard much about him. It’s not his problem that it didn’t work out for him here; the problem is in our country. If there had been different conditions, he would have represented our country.”

Moscow resident Sergei, who did not give his last name, said Ovechkin is “our star," adding: "I’m proud that he is Russian. I can’t wait when he breaks this record.”

Ovechkin has one more year on his Capitals contract. He has played his entire NHL career for Washington, becoming the face of the franchise who made hockey popular in the area, delivered a championship and is now on the verge of history.

“We’re blessed to have him in D.C. and with the Caps,” Ali said. "Another one of the things I’m proud of is he’s been with the same team his entire career. ... It’s his time, and we couldn’t be prouder to be a part of it."

AP video journalist Kirill Zarubin in Moscow contributed.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL

A “Gr8 Chase” countdown toward Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record is displayed outside the DCFD-Engine 2 & Rescue Squad 1 firehouse in Washington, D.C., Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephen Whyno)

A “Gr8 Chase” countdown toward Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goal scoring record is displayed inside MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va., on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephen Whyno)

A billboard depicting Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin marking his NHL career goals with the words reading "Ovechkin is always first!" is set in a street in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

A billboard depicting Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin marking his NHL career goals with the words reading "Ovechkin is always first!" is set in a street in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

FILE - Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) walks off the ice after warm ups before a NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks, Saturday, March 15, 2025 in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar, File)

FILE - Russia's Alexander Ovechkin celebrates his goal against Slovakia during World Cup of Hockey tournament in Toronto, Sunday Sept. 5, 2004. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP, iIle)

FILE - Alexander Ovechkin, of Russia, puts on a Washington Capitals hat after being selected as the first overall pick of the NHL Draft, Saturday, June 26, 2004, at the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/ Karl DeBlaker, File)

FILE - Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) watches from the bench during an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong, File)

FILE - Alexander Ovechkin, 19, the Washington Capitals' 2004 number one draft pick, holds up his team jersey during a news conference at the MCI Center in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005, to announce his signing with the team. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

FILE - Alexander Ovechkin, of Russia, speaks to the media during a NHL hockey news conferece, Friday, June 25, 2004, in Durham, N.C., prior to the NHL draft. AP Photo/ Karl DeBlaker, File)

FILE - Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin, from Russia, holds up the Stanley Cup trophy during the NHL hockey team's Stanley Cup victory celebration, Tuesday, June 12, 2018, at the National Mall in Washington. The U.S. Capitol rises in the background. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

A man wearing a suit of mascot of Dynamo hockey club hangs digits showing number of goals scored by Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin in his NHL career at the VTB Arena – Dynamo Central Stadium in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)

A man wearing a suit of mascot of Dynamo hockey club hangs digits showing number of goals scored by Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin in his NHL career at the VTB Arena – Dynamo Central Stadium in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)

A man wearing a suit of mascot of Dynamo hockey club hangs digits showing number of goals scored by Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin in his NHL career at the VTB Arena – Dynamo Central Stadium in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)

Cars drive past a screen depicting Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin marking his NHL career goals with the words reading "Go ahead Alex!", in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

A screen depicting Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin marking his NHL career goals with the words reading "Sasha, we are with you", in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

People pass by a billboard depicting Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin marking his NHL career goals with the words reading "Ovechkin is always first!" in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)

People walk past a screen depicting Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin marking his NHL career goals with the words reading "Score! Score!", in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

People walk past the installation of a countdown clock marking Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin's NHL career goals with the words reading "Sasha, the Motherland is with you!", Tuesday, March 25, 2025, in Moscow, Russia. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)

A “Gr8 Chase” countdown toward Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL hockey career goal scoring record is displayed at the original Ben’s Chili Bowl on U Street in Washington, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephen Whyno

People walk past the installation of a countdown clock marking Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin's NHL career goals with the words reading "Sasha, the Motherland is with you!", Tuesday, March 25, 2025, in Moscow, Russia. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)

A “Gr8 Chase” countdown toward Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL hockey career goal scoring record is displayed at the original Ben’s Chili Bowl on U Street in Washington, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephen Whyno

A “Gr8 Chase” countdown toward Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL hockey career goal scoring record is displayed inside Bugsy's Pizza Restaurant and Sports Bar in Alexandria, Va., Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephen Whyno)

A man wearing a suit of mascot of Dynamo hockey club hangs digits showing number of goals scored by Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin in his NHL career at the VTB Arena – Dynamo Central Stadium in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks careened through a manic Monday after President Donald Trump threatened to crank his tariffs higher, despite a stunning display showing how dearly Wall Street wants him to do the opposite.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% at the end of a day full of heart-racing reversals as battered financial markets try to figure out what Trump’s ultimate goal is for his trade war. If it’s to get other countries to agree to trade deals, he could lower his tariffs and avoid a possible recession. But if it’s to remake the economy and stick with tariffs for the long haul, stock prices may need to fall further.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 349 points, or 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite edged up by 0.1%.

All three indexes started the day sharply lower, and the Dow plunged as many as 1,700 points following even worse losses elsewhere in the world. But it suddenly surged to a gain of nearly 900 points in the late morning. The S&P 500, meanwhile, went from a loss of 4.7% to a leap of 3.4%, which would have been its biggest jump in years.

The sudden rise followed a false rumor that Trump was considering a 90-day pause on his tariffs, one that a White House account on X quickly labeled as “fake news.” That a rumor could move trillions of dollars’ worth of investments shows how much investors are hoping to see signs that Trump may let up on tariffs.

Stocks quickly turned back down, and shortly afterward, Trump dug in further and said he may raise tariffs more against China after the world’s second-largest economy retaliated last week with its own set of tariffs on U.S. products.

It’s a slap in the face to Wall Street because it suggests Trump may not care how much pain he inflicts on the market. Many professional investors had long thought that a president who used to crow about records reached under his watch would pull back on policies if they sent the Dow reeling.

On Sunday Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he wasn’t concerned about a sell-off and that “sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something.”

Trump has given several reasons for his stiff tariffs, including to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States, which is a process that could take years. Trump on Sunday said he wanted to bring down the numbers for how much more the United States imports from other countries versus how much it sends to them.

Indexes nevertheless did keep swinging between losses and gains Monday after Trump’s latest tariff threat, in part because hope still remains in markets that negotiations may still come.

“We’re not calling the all-clear at all, but when you have this type of volatility in the market, of course you’re going to have back and forth” in markets not just day to day but also hour to hour, said Nate Thooft, a senior portfolio manager at Manulife Investment Management.

“We’re all waiting for the next bit of information,” he said. “Literally a Truth Social tweet or an announcement of some sort about real negotiations could dramatically move this market. This is the world we live in right now.”

All that seemed certain Monday was the financial pain hammering investments around the world for a third day after Trump announced tariffs in his “Liberation Day.”

Stocks in Hong Kong plunged 13.2% for their worst day since 1997. A barrel of benchmark U.S. crude oil dipped below $60 during the morning for the first time since 2021, hurt by worries that a global economy weakened by trade barriers will burn less fuel. Bitcoin sank below $79,000, down from its record above $100,000 set in January, after holding steadier than other markets last week.

Trump’s tariffs are an attack on the globalization that’s remade the world’s economy, which helped bring down prices for products on the shelves of U.S. stores but also caused production jobs to leave for other countries.

It also adds pressure on the Federal Reserve. Investors have become nearly conditioned to expect the central bank to swoop in as a hero by slashing interest rates to protect the economy during every downturn. But the Fed may have less freedom to act this time around because inflation remains higher than the Fed would like. And while lower interest rates can goose the economy, they can also put upward pressure on inflation.

“The recent tariffs will likely increase inflation and are causing many to consider a greater probability of a recession,” JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, one of the most influential executives on Wall Street, wrote in his annual letter to shareholders Monday. “Whether or not the menu of tariffs causes a recession remains in question, but it will slow down growth.”

In the bond market, Treasury yields rallied to recover some of their sharp drops from earlier weeks. Some of the big move may have been because of reduced expectations for cuts to interest rates by the Fed. Some analysts also said it could be due to investors outside of the United States wanting to pare their U.S. investments.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury jumped to 4.20% from 4.01% late Friday.

Earlier in the day, the S&P 500 briefly fell more than 20% below its record set less than two months ago. If it finishes a day below that bar, it would be a big enough drop that Wall Street has a name for it. A “bear market” signifies a downturn that’s moved beyond a run-of-the-mill 10% drop, which happens every year or so, and has graduated into something more vicious.

The S&P 500, which sits at the heart of many investors’ 401(k) accounts, is coming off its worst week since COVID began crashing the global economy in March 2020.

All told, the index fell 11.83 points Monday to 5,062.25. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 349.26 to 37,965.60, and the Nasdaq composite added 15.48 to 15,603.26.

Kurtenbach reported from Bangkok. McHugh reported from Frankfurt, Germany. Associated Press writers Ayaka McGill, Paul Harloff, Matt Ott and Jiang Junzhe also contributed.

An electronic display shows financial information on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Federico DeMarco works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Chris Lagana works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Traders work on the options floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

While a stock exchange trader sits in front of his monitors on the trading floor of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Germany, the display board with the Dax curve shows a value of less than 20,000 points. (Arne Dedert/dpa via AP)

While a stock exchange trader sits in front of his monitors on the trading floor of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Germany, the display board with the Dax curve shows a value of less than 20,000 points. (Arne Dedert/dpa via AP)

Currency traders work near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), top left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, top center, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

An electronic stock board shows that Nikkei stock average dropped over 2,900 Japanese yen in Tokyo Monday, April 7, 2025. (Kyodo News via AP)

Currency traders work near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, top right, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

A person walks past an electronic stock board in Tokyo Monday, April 7, 2025. (Kyodo News via AP)

Currency traders watch monitors near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), top left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, top center, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

US President Donald Trump appears on a television screen at the stock market in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

A screen displays financial news as traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)