Alex Ovechkin Remains Noncommittal On Future Beyond Current Season
Alex Ovechkin has declined to confirm whether the 2025-26 season will be his last with the Washington Capitals. The 40-year-old captain, who surpassed Wayne Gretzky\'s all-time goals record last season with 897 career goals, is in the final year of his contract and has left his future uncertain.
\"I don\'t know if this is going to be the last. We\'ll see,\" Ovechkin said at training camp. \"I take it day by day. You have to have fun. Enjoy yourself. Do the best that you can.\"
Ovechkin scored 44 goals in 65 games last season after missing 16 games with a broken left fibula. He passed Gretzky\'s mark of 894 goals on April 6 against the New York Islanders, energizing Washington to a 111-point season and their first second-round playoff appearance since winning the Stanley Cup in 2018.
General Manager Chris Patrick said the organization will not pressure Ovechkin for an early decision. The Capitals have no deadline for the NHL\'s all-time leading goal scorer to announce his plans.
\"I want him to have the space. To have this season go how he wants it to go,\" Patrick said. \"If he wants to talk, we\'ll talk. If not, we\'ll figure it out later.\"
Head coach Spencer Carbery acknowledged that avoiding a preseason retirement announcement kept the focus on the team rather than on Ovechkin for a second consecutive season.
Washington\'s resurgence under Carbery has made the Capitals legitimate contenders. The team has reached the playoffs in consecutive seasons and won the Metropolitan Division title last year through strategic acquisitions and prospect development.
\"He loves the game. He loves to come to the rink, he loves to be around his buddies,\" Carbery said. \"Even though he\'s passed Wayne and now has the all-time goal record, I think he\'ll be as hungry as ever.\"
Ovechkin trails Gretzky by 42 goals for the most combined regular season and playoff goals in NHL history. He is also closing in on 1,500 career games, a milestone reached by only 22 players.