COLUMBUS, OH — Alex Ovechkin took the ice at Nationwide Arena on Tuesday morning ahead of what could be his final game in the NHL.
The Washington Capitals captain, who frequently does not participate in morning skates, was joined at the optional practice by nearly the rest of the Caps roster, just hours after the team was eliminated from playoff contention by the Philadelphia Flyers the night before.
Ovechkin spent about 15 minutes on the ice, doing several drills and chatting with Dylan Strome and Tom Wilson, before quickly sliding off the ice and down the tunnel.
Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery confirmed to the media after the on-ice session that Ovechkin would play later in the night against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
While the game will have less meaning from a playoff perspective — the Blue Jackets were eliminated as well after the Flyers’ victory over the Carolina Hurricanes — Ovechkin’s decision about his future lingers over the game.
If the contest is truly Ovechkin’s last, he would be wrapping up his career against the same team he made his NHL debut against back on October 5, 2005. The game will also be Ovechkin’s 82nd of the year, the first time he has played a full season’s worth of regular-season games since the 2017-18 campaign.
Scores of Capitals fans are making the trip for the moment, which may feel like an unofficial home game at puck drop.
Ovechkin, 40, is the Capitals’ leading scorer heading into their final outing of the year with 63 points (32g, 31a) in 81 games. He is slated to stick with his most common linemates this season, Dylan Strome and Anthony Beauvillier.
Outside of Ovechkin’s inclusion, the Capitals will also see a couple of players, namely Pierre-Luc Dubois and Rasmus Sandin, miss the season finale due to injuries sustained against the Pittsburgh Penguins last weekend. Both players were injured in Saturday’s game in Pittsburgh.
Dylan McIlrath will fill Sandin’s spot in the lineup, while Hendrix Lapierre is expected to get a jersey in place of Dubois.
Projected Capitals lineup for 4/14 game against Blue Jackets
With nothing left to play for, the Capitals will give Clay Stevenson his fourth start of the season. The 27-year-old backstop is 2-1-0 in his previous three NHL starts this year with a 2.33 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage.
Puck drop for the Capitals’ final game of the 2025-26 season is set for 7 pm.
