Alex Ovechkin confirmed Saturday his plan to return to the Washington Capitals for the upcoming season, which will be his 21st in the NHL. This follows a historic season where he broke Wayne Gretzky`s all-time goal record.
During locker room cleanout day, Ovechkin light-heartedly questioned whether he could still make the roster at his age, joking about potentially joining the minor league Hershey Bears for their playoff run instead.
“First of all, I have to make a roster at 40 years old,” Ovechkin quipped, speaking less than 48 hours after the Capitals` second-round elimination by Carolina.
Ovechkin, set to turn 40 in September, is entering the final year of the five-year, $47.5 million contract he signed in 2021. He stated his intention to approach the upcoming summer and offseason training exactly as he always has.
He added, “I’m going to use those couple months to rest, enjoy my life, then back to work. Me and (trainer Pavel Burlachenko are) going do our job to get ready for the season and just do my best.”
The past season was eventful for Ovechkin, who scored 44 goals (third highest in the league) despite overcoming a broken leg. His scoring helped him surpass Wayne Gretzky’s seemingly insurmountable career total of 894 goals, reaching 897.
Coach Spencer Carbery commented after the playoff loss, “For him to come back this year and play the way that he did, chase down this record, the start that he had, breaking his leg, coming back from that, and just continuing to not only do things he did individually, statistically, but lead our team — that’s part of the story that will be a minor part of it, but it’s a big part of it.”
Carbery added, “He did what he came back this year to prove and show, and he did it in the playoffs as well. I tip my cap to ‘O’ and the season that he had and as our captain leading the way.”
In the recent postseason, Ovechkin led the Capitals with five goals over 10 games, though he managed only one in the second round. This elimination marked the 15th time in his 16 career playoff appearances that the team did not reach the Eastern Conference Final, the exception being their 2018 Stanley Cup winning season where Ovechkin earned the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Looking ahead to next season, Ovechkin`s focus is on competing for a second Stanley Cup.
He stated, “I’m looking forward for next year. I’m going to try to do my best to play and my team is going to help me, too. … I just want to come back next year and see the team who’s capable of winning the Stanley Cup.”
Regarding his future beyond the upcoming season, when his contract expires, Ovechkin remains uncertain.
“I haven’t thought about it yet, but we’ll see what’s going to happen,” he said. “I’m going to try to do my best to be able to do well next year, and we’ll see.”
Longtime teammate Tom Wilson anticipates Ovechkin will reach “900 and beyond” goals.
Wilson added, “At no point am I thinking in my head that there’s ever going to be a day without Ovi on the Caps. He’s still flying out there. He had an incredible season. I think he probably exceeded expectations and beyond. You can never count that guy out. He’s such a tremendous leader. I’m sure he’s going to keep buzzing.”
Tristan Blackwood