Alex Ovechkin met with Toronto media, perhaps for the last time, after the Washington Capitals’ morning skate on Wednesday. To the credit of the journalists who attended, Ovechkin faced pointed questions about his future.
While there were a lot of questions thrown at Ovechkin, he seemingly kept going back to the same comment he made in a video posted by the Capitals in the morning, where he said he would make his decision in the summer.
Transcript
Links have been added to the questions for additional clarity or context.
Q: You said you were going to make your decision over the summer. What are you going to weigh? I mean, you scored 30 goals this year, so why not come back?
Alex Ovechkin: “I don’t know. How I said, it’s just health-wise, you know, talk to my family, obviously with Ted (Leonsis) and CP (Capitals general manager Chris Patrick), and we’ll see. If I was 35 or 25, it’s one thing. But when you’re 40, you have to think for the future.”
Q: How do you feel about your season as a whole this year?
Alex Ovechkin: “Well, we’re still fighting for a playoff spot, so we’re going to talk after the year.”
Q: You’ve scored a lot of goals in this building over the years. What do you like about playing in Toronto?
Alex Ovechkin: “Yeah, it’s history, you know, fans, you guys. Like I’m always saying, it’s always nice to play when it’s sold out, and people know about hockey.”
Q: Is your love for the game still as high as it was when you came into the league?
Alex Ovechkin: “Yeah, I’m still enjoying it. I’m still having fun. I’m still happy to be with the boys in the locker room.”
Q: If this is the end, why don’t you want to do a (goodbye) tour the way that (Anze) Kopitar has this year?
Alex Ovechkin: “Well, because I don’t know if it’s the end or not. We’ll figure it out.”
Q: What stood out to you about how Wayne did his tour? He went through the season without a lot of fanfare. Is that something that’s influenced you?
Alex Ovechkin: “To be honest with you, everybody is different, right? Wayne is one person, Kopitar is another person. So if it’s happening, it’s happening. You guys probably find out.”
Q: Speaking of Wayne, how much would the combined playoff and regular season goals record mean to you? Is that something you’ve thought about at all?
Alex Ovechkin: “Well, of course, people talk about it, but I’m concentrated right now on different things.”
Q: Is there a day or month or week, whatever it is, Alex, that you want to have a decision done by? Is there that sort of thing?
Alex Ovechkin: “First day of the summer.” (laughs)
Q: Would the KHL be part of your plans, too?
Alex Ovechkin: “I don’t know yet. How I said, we have to make a decision. Family, ownership, and myself first of all.”
Q: What’s it like playing the game at 40 years old in this league? How fast it is, how young the guys are around here?
Alex Ovechkin: “Yeah, games changed almost every year, you know. More faces coming to the league, and you can see how fast they are, how skilled they are. And obviously, you have to adjust yourself, your body, your mind. And, yeah, it’s, you know, it’s life.”
