Alex Ovechkin says he has yet to make a decision about his NHL future and will do so in the summer.
In a teaser for a conversation airing Wednesday night with Washington Capitals radio announcer John Walton, the franchise’s captain said he will speak with his family and team executives, including team owner Ted Leonsis, before deciding what to do next.
The Capitals have four games remaining in the regular season and currentlysit five points out of an Eastern Conference playoff spot. Ovechkin is set to become an unrestricted free agent following the season.
Ovechkin will turn 41 in September and has been remarkably durable throughout his career, playing fewer than 70 games during the regular season only three times over his 21-year NHL career. He noted that his health will play a factor in his decision. “You just have to be smart about it,” he said.
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Last April,Ovechkin became the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorerwith his 895th goal,breaking a tie with Wayne Gretzky. He followed up that record-breaking feat with his 20th season of at least 30 goals in 2025-26.
Earlier this season, Ovechkin became thefirst NHL player to reach the 900-goal mark. He now has 928 in his NHL career to go along with nine Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophies as the regular season's top goal scorer, eight NHL First-Team All-Star Honors, and three Hart Memorial Trophies as league MVP, among numerous other awards, including a Stanley Cup title and playoff MVP in 2018.
Ovechkin, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, is 10th all-time in league history in points with 1,684 over 1,569 regular-season games.
"When you love something, you do it with heart," Ovechkin said. "Obviously, I love playing hockey, I love scoring goals."
