Alex Ovechkin has spent more than two decades building a life in North America, but when his hockey career is eventually over, the Washington Capitals captain already knows where he wants to call home: Moscow, Russia.
The Great 8 stated the obvious when asked where he plans to live after officially calling it quits on the NHL during a press conference at the Ovi Cup on Saturday. Ovechkin and his son Sergei later played in the all-star-laden gala match at the annual event in Moscow.
“Moscow is my hometown,” Ovechkin told sports.ru’s Nikita Nadezhin, as translated via Google Translate. “It’s clear that I’ll live here. My family, loved ones, and friends are here.”
Ovechkin was born and grew up in Moscow, where his mom played professional basketball, and his dad played professional soccer, both for Dynamo Moscow. Ovechkin also got his start in hockey with Dynamo, joining the club’s academy and playing the first four years of his professional career with the team in what was then called the Russian Super League.
Ovechkin, who currently serves in an advisory role with the club, has remained active with Dynamo as an alum and even returned to play for the team during the 2012-13 NHL lockout. He has reiterated multiple times that he plans on playing the final hockey game of his career with Dynamo before officially retiring.
The confirmation that he plans on returning to Moscow once his NHL career ends comes just over a month after Ovechkin signed a one-year extension with the Capitals. He has not yet committed to the 2026-27 season being his final year in North America.
Outside his native Russia, Ovechkin also owns a house in Virginia and multiple luxury condos near Miami, Florida.
The 2026-27 season will mark Ovechkin’s 22nd in the NHL. He will be 41 years old on Opening Night.
