{"id":49102,"date":"2026-04-08T13:22:38","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T17:22:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/capitals-star-ovechkin-to-decide-hockey-future-this-summer-2\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T13:22:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T17:22:38","slug":"capitals-star-ovechkin-to-decide-hockey-future-this-summer-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/capitals-star-ovechkin-to-decide-hockey-future-this-summer-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Capitals Star Ovechkin to Decide Hockey Future This Summer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Washington Capitals’ legendary captain Alex Ovechkin, who holds the NHL record for most career goals, plans to determine whether he’ll keep playing hockey once this season concludes.<\/p>

The 40-year-old veteran is currently in his 21st NHL campaign and the last year of his five-year deal worth $47.5 million. Ovechkin captured the Stanley Cup in 2018 and has earned the Hart Trophy three times during his illustrious career.<\/p>

Speaking with Monumental Sports Network, Ovechkin explained his approach to the major decision ahead. “When you love something, you do it with heart,” he stated. “Obviously, I love playing hockey, I love scoring goals. … We’re going to make a decision in the summer. I have to talk to my family, with Ted (owner Ted Leonsis)” along with other franchise executives.<\/p>

“I’m going to be 41 in September. You just have to be smart about it.”<\/p>

The veteran’s season may end sooner than hoped, as Washington faces playoff uncertainty. The Capitals hold a record of 39-30-9 for 87 points, trailing Philadelphia by five points for the Metropolitan Division’s third position with just four contests left. They also sit five points behind Ottawa in the race for the Eastern Conference’s final wild-card berth.<\/p>

Ovechkin made history this season when he eclipsed Wayne Gretzky’s legendary goal-scoring mark, netting his record-breaking 895th career goal against the New York Islanders on April 6, 2025, with Gretzky watching from the stands. Since then, he has extended his total to 928 goals after leading his team with 31 this season.<\/p>

This year, Ovechkin has accumulated a team-high 61 points, bringing his career point total to 1,684, which places him 10th in NHL history.<\/p>

Selected first overall by Washington in the 2004 NHL Draft, he has claimed the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the league’s top goal scorer a record nine times throughout his career.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, who holds the NHL record for most goals scored, plans to make a decision about continuing his hockey career during the upcoming offseason. The 40-year-old superstar is in his final contract year and will turn 41 in September.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":49101,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[836],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49102","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775668957688.jpg?fit=450%2C299&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-cLY","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":49023,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/capitals-star-ovechkin-to-decide-hockey-future-this-summer\/","url_meta":{"origin":49102,"position":0},"title":"Capitals Star Ovechkin to Decide Hockey Future This Summer","author":"Admin","date":"April 8, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer, will wait until after the season ends to determine if he'll retire or play another year. The 40-year-old Russian superstar says health will be the primary factor in his decision.","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775658997873.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775658997873.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775658997873.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775658997873.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":90193,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/ovechkin-signs-on-for-22nd-nhl-season-returning-to-washington-capitals\/","url_meta":{"origin":49102,"position":1},"title":"Ovechkin Signs On for 22nd NHL Season, Returning to Washington Capitals","author":"Admin","date":"July 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Hockey legend Alex Ovechkin is heading back to the ice for a 22nd NHL season after re-signing with the Washington Capitals. The all-time goal-scoring record holder agreed to a deal worth up to $9 million, with a base salary of $1 million plus bonuses. Ovechkin, who turns 41 in September,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1783014463180.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1783014463180.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1783014463180.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1783014463180.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":53143,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/capitals-star-ovechkin-weighs-nhl-future-after-contract-expires\/","url_meta":{"origin":49102,"position":2},"title":"Capitals Star Ovechkin Weighs NHL Future After Contract Expires","author":"Admin","date":"April 16, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Washington Capitals legend Alex Ovechkin is considering his hockey future after his contract ended following the team's final game Tuesday. The 40-year-old goal-scoring champion says his decision will depend on his health, family considerations, and the team's direction.","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776358314803.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776358314803.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776358314803.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776358314803.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":91925,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/ovechkin-returns-for-season-22-with-capitals-stays-quiet-on-retirement-plans\/","url_meta":{"origin":49102,"position":3},"title":"Ovechkin Returns for Season 22 With Capitals, Stays Quiet on Retirement Plans","author":"Admin","date":"July 6, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Hockey legend Alex Ovechkin is back for his 22nd season with the Washington Capitals, but he's not saying whether it will be his last. 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Meanwhile, the Capitals have been busy\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1783380715821.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1783380715821.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1783380715821.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1783380715821.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40879,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/capitals-ovechkin-makes-nhl-history-with-1000th-career-goal\/","url_meta":{"origin":49102,"position":4},"title":"Capitals’ Ovechkin Makes NHL History with 1,000th Career Goal","author":"Admin","date":"March 22, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin joined Wayne Gretzky as only the second NHL player to score 1,000 career goals across regular season and playoffs. The 40-year-old Russian legend reached the historic milestone during Sunday's game against Colorado with a third-period power-play goal.","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774218174774.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":51057,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/capitals-star-ovechkin-considers-future-after-fans-chant-one-more-year\/","url_meta":{"origin":49102,"position":5},"title":"Capitals Star Ovechkin Considers Future After Fans Chant ‘One More Year’","author":"Admin","date":"April 12, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin responded with \"I'll think about it\" when fans chanted for one more season during what could be his final home game. 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