If everything goes right next season, Alex Ovechkin is open to continuing his career another year. He’s also found a new milestone to chase.
While participating in a Russian-language interview with Match TV on Monday, Ovechkin was asked if he wanted to score 1,000 career regular-season goals.
“We’ll try,” Ovechkin said on “All on Match!”, as translated by Google Translate. “Everything will depend on my desire and health. Time will tell. It gets harder and harder with each passing year.”
The comments come nearly two weeks after Ovechkin signed a one-year contract extension with the Washington Capitals on the second day of free agency. The 2025-26 season will be the 22nd of his legendary career.
Ovechkin, who is the NHL’s all-time goals leader, has lit the lamp 929 times, putting him 71 goals shy of the milestone mark. Getting to 1,000 would likely require another season beyond 2026-27, as the most goals Ovi has ever scored in a single season was 65 in 2007-08 when he was 22. As a forty-year-old last season, Ovechkin scored 32 times.
While speaking to Match TV, Ovechkin said the biggest hurdle to the milestone would be Father Time — “of course,” he replied when asked if he felt his age — and everything that surrounds that.
“I don’t really enjoy training,” Ovechkin said, smiling, echoing comments he made during the 2024 offseason. “After vacation is the hardest time for an athlete. You have to push yourself again.”
During the conversation, Ovechkin also reiterated that his main focus is winning another championship and etching his name on the Stanley Cup for a second time, not individual accolades like Wayne Gretzky’s combined goals record of 1,016. Ovechkin has 1,006 regular-season and playoff goals combined, trailing Gretzky by 10.
“A team sport doesn’t depend on just one player, and Washington was a united force in 2018,” Ovechkin said. “I want to win the trophy again. That desire outweighs the possibility of breaking another Gretzky record.”
Over the offseason, Capitals general manager Chris Patrick overhauled the team, particularly at forward, where the team struggled to find consistent goal-scoring. The Capitals signed or acquired four major pieces: Jordan Kyrou, Alex Tuch, Boone Jenner, and Vincent Desharnais.
“The main thing is to have a good team,” Ovechkin said. “I’m happy with the team as captain; we have a competitive squad. Our goal is the title. I don’t know if I’ll have another season.”
