Ovechkin energized starting 22nd NHL season with Capitals

ARLINGTON, Va. -- About to embark on his 22nd NHL season with the Washington Capitals, Alex Ovechkin pondered what his 20-year-old self would’ve thought about that possibility when he debuted in the League in 2005, and concluded he’d say, “Good luck with that.”

Perhaps luck has had something to do with Ovechkin’s remarkable longevity, along with being blessed with an unsurpassed ability to score goals and a nearly indestructible 6-foot-3, 238-pound frame. Now 41 and the NHL record holder with 929 career goals, Ovechkin acknowledged, “It’s hard to believe,” he’s played in the League for this long.

The left wing’s excitement for the start of another season is apparent, though, as the Capitals prepare to visit the reigning Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center on Friday (7 p.m. ET; HHN, CARNHL, MNMT, SN, TVAS).

“I still love the game,” Ovechkin said. “Of course, my body is getting old, but I still love it.”

Ovechkin’s love of the game wasn’t in question when he took some time after last season to decide if he wanted to continue playing. And, though a lower-body injury sustained during training camp prevented him from playing this preseason, his old body didn’t keep him from playing every game last season and leading the Capitals with 32 goals and 64 points.

Ovechkin’s contract was expiring, though, and in addition to wanting to talk over his future with his family and make certain he was up for another season physically, he was curious to see what moves Washington would make to upgrade its roster after missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season.

The trade of defenseman John Carlson, his teammate for 17 seasons, to the Anaheim Ducks on March 6 provided another reminder that nothing lasts forever. Almost all of the players from the Capitals’ 2018 Stanley Cup championship team have moved on, leading Ovechkin to remark to forward Tom Wilson at a team dinner earlier this week, “We're the only ones left.”

Ovechkin saw there was still a place for him, though, after the Capitals geared up to try to contend for the Stanley Cup again during an aggressive offseason in which they added two three-time 30-goal-scorers in forwards Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou, versatile forward Boone Jenner and stay-at-home defenseman Vincent Desharnais. Encouraged, Ovechkin signed a one-year contract on July 2 that includes $1 million in salary, a $4.75 million games-played bonus (10 games) and a $3.25 million signing bonus.

“When we traded ‘Carly’ last year, it was a hard day, it was a hard moment, but there’s nothing we can do as players,” he said. “We don’t make the decisions. We are concentrating on what’s next. I think the moves that we made this summer gave me motivation to come back and I hope we’re going to be better than we were last year.”

Ovechkin has already achieved so much. In addition to being the NHL’s all-time leader in goals, surpassing Wayne Gretzky (894) on April 6, 2025, Ovechkin also ranks first in NHL history in power-play goals (331), game-winning goals (141), overtime goals (27), empty-net goals (72), 30-goal seasons (20), 40-goal seasons (14) and 50-goal seasons (nine – tied with Gretzky and Mike Bossy).

With 1,006 combined goals, including 77 in the playoffs, Ovechkin needs 11 to pass Gretzky (1,016) for most in NHL history. He owns most of the Capitals records, including games (1,573), goals, and points (1,687), and is second in assists (758), but is five away from passing longtime linemate Nicklas Backstrom’s mark (762).

None of that was much of a factor in Ovechkin’s decision to return, though.

“I think it’s the chance to win the Stanley Cup,” Capitals center Dylan Strome said. “There’s not much more for him to accomplish.”

Ovechkin appreciates Washington’s improved forward depth, though it likely means his ice time will likely drop even more after he averaged an NHL career-low 17:27 per game last season. He’s set to begin this season at left wing on a line with Strome and Ryan Leonard and play on the first power-play unit, but his days of playing the full two minutes of each penalty might be over.

“I expect O to be O,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. “But I also understand where he's at in his career, and it's my job to help him along, whether it's deployment, minutes, power-play deployment, all that stuff, especially early in the year, because he hasn't played any preseason games. … 

“But I expect him to be up and running fairly quickly and up to game speed, and we'll just we'll monitor it. But I expect O to be O. He'll be flying out there and full of energy and jump and leading the charge.”

While Ovechkin has continued to find ways to be productive as he has aged, the importance of his leadership as the Capitals captain (a title he’s held since 2010) has grown in recent seasons as they’ve turned over their roster and brought in new players. His presence has been invaluable for 20-year-old rookies Cole Hutson and Ilya Protas, but also veteran newcomers such as Tuch, Kyrou, Jenner and Desharnais.  

“He’s just been so welcoming,” Tuch said. “Honestly, he's a big presence, so you get a little nervous going into a new team with such a big presence. But he's such an easy guy to be around. He treats everyone the same. It doesn't matter if you have one game in the League or 1,000 games in the League, he treats you the same, and that's just the type of leader you need.”

At the start of his 11th NHL season, Tuch marveled at the idea of Ovechkin beginning his 22nd.

“My body hurts just thinking about it,” Tuch said. “That's insane. He hasn't missed that much time either.”

Before Ovechkin missed 16 games with a fractured left fibula in 2024-25, he never sat out more than six consecutive games. Of the 1,649 regular-season games the Capitals have played since Ovechkin joined the NHL in the 2005-06 season, he has missed just 76. He’s played in all 161 postseason games. 

“I don't think anybody that hasn't played the game of hockey can understand what he's put his body through for 22 years and the fact that he's still going,” Wilson said. “You guys don't see the behind the scenes and the daily grind. After a game, he’s got six ice bags on …. He's 41 years old and his durability, I think they'll be studying him for a long time. 

“He's one of a kind.”

Determined to improve upon last season, Ovechkin changed his offseason training to focus more on conditioning and he appears leaner. He confirmed he lost “a little bit” of weight, but continues to be listed at 238 pounds, as he has been since the start of the 2017-18 season.

Although retirement is coming at some point, Ovechkin said he hasn’t decided yet whether this will be his final NHL season, and he has yet to discuss it with the Capitals.

“All the conversations at the end of last season were more in regard to this upcoming season, and then in the summer it was more about his contract and the other moves we made going into this season,” general manager Chris Patrick said before training camp. “We really haven't even had a chance to talk about what goes from here, so we'll just see where he kind of is as the season plays out.”

Ovechkin watched with admiration when Jaromir Jagr played in the NHL until 2017-18, when he was 45. Jagr played on one-year contracts his final seven NHL seasons, essentially deciding after each one whether he wanted to return for the next.

Ovechkin is taking a similar year-to-year approach now. 

“I just want to make sure my body is handling it right,” he said. “Right now, it’s harder and harder coming back. The League has changed. Hockey has changed. You’re not going to get younger; you’re going to get older, so you have to be smart about it, and we’ll see what’s going to happen.”