Alex Ovechkin is just shy of making history: the veteran forward and the NHL’s most prolific goal scorer is a couple of goals away from joining Wayne Gretzky in the 1,000-goal club. But Ovi is also 40, and questions about his future in the league are only getting stronger with time. Fans around the league are pining for an answer, but the topic is one that Ovechkin is not very comfortable discussing.
Alex Ovechkin’s Future Not Up for Discussion
For years, Ovechkin relentlessly pursued Gretzky’s elusive record for the most regular-season goals. Simultaneously, the Capitals franchise as a whole came to be fashioned around Ovi’s personal goal. The nine-time Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner finally positioned himself as the leading goal scorer in the history of the NHL in April 2025 during a match against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena.
But that was the record for the most regular-season goals. Gretzky is the sole NHL player to have scored 1,000 goals, regular season and playoffs combined. Meanwhile, at 40, Ovi has 998 goals and is on the cusp of setting another record. Despite his veteran status, the Capitals captain just cannot stop setting records. In November 2025, he displaced Gordie Howe to become the player with the most goals in a single venue.
Despite the exciting anticipation for Ovi’s next big feat, Capitals fans and his admirers across the league are dreading the time when the legendary forward decides that it is time for him to hang up his skates. He is 40 and nearing the end of his five-year, $47.5 million contract. What if the expiring contract is Ovi’s last?
On one hand, the community looks to Ovechkin for an answer to the pesky question. On the other, the topic at hand is one the Capitals icon is far from willing to discuss. According to ESPN’s Steve Levy, the word came during one of his interviews with the Capitals captain that questions about his future should be squarely avoided.
“We were asked not to get into if this was the last season and the final few games,” Levy said.
Ovechkin is in his 21st season with the Caps, and while he is playing phenomenally for his age, the captain has said he will make a decision only after this season concludes. He has further stated that a decision about his future will also depend on how his body feels.
The Capitals are far from playoff contention right now, and Ovechkin will expend every last bit of his energy and hockey wisdom to better the team’s odds. Moreover, driven by a perpetual desire to match or surpass Gretzky, Ovi still has unfinished business in the league: he must score 1,000 goals before his NHL career ends.
