Alex Ovechkin said Wednesday he will wait until the offseason to decide whether this is his final NHL season, putting off one of the league’s most closely watched questions until his year with the Washington Capitals is over.
The 40-year-old captain said he still loves the game, but wants time to talk with his family, owner Ted Leonsis, general manager Chris Patrick and president of hockey operations Brian MacLellan before making a call in the summer. “When you love something, you do it with heart,” Ovechkin said. “Obviously, I love playing hockey, I love scoring goals. … We’re going to make a decision in the summer.”
Ovechkin is in the final season of a five-year, $47.5 million contract he signed with Washington in 2021, and he said he wants to be smart about what comes next as he approaches 41 in September. “I’m going to be 41 in September. You just have to be smart about it,” he said. “I still have fun. I’m still happy to be with the boys in the locker room.”
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The choice carries unusual weight because Ovechkin already owns the NHL’s career goals record. He broke it by scoring his 895th goal on April 6, 2025, against the New York Islanders, and has since pushed that total to 928. He also reached 1,000 total goals on March 22 against the Colorado Avalanche, becoming only the second player in league history to do it.
Washington’s situation adds urgency. The Capitals beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0 on Wednesday and remained alive in the playoff race with three regular-season games left, sitting within three points of the Philadelphia Flyers for third place in the Metropolitan Division. The team has qualified for the playoffs in 16 of Ovechkin’s 20 previous NHL seasons, and it is trying to make it again after finishing 51-22-9 with 111 points last season before losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round.
For now, Ovechkin keeps producing. He has 31 goals in 79 games this season, along with 1,684 points in 1,570 regular-season games and 77 playoff goals. If this is the end, he has left little doubt about his place in the sport; if it is not, the answer will come after he has had the summer conversation he says he owes himself.
