Alex Ovechkin is one of the greatest hockey players of all time, but he’s just like most of us when it comes to training: he actively despises it.
The Great Eight recently sat down for a long, panel interview on the Russian show This is hockey, brother! (which was then transcribed by sports.ru). Ovechkin chatted about a variety of topics, including his offseason preparations for next year. The Capitals’ captain will turn 39 before the 2024-25 season gets underway and is just 41 goals shy of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goals record of 894.
“I hate preseason,” Ovechkin said as translated via Google Translate. “I really hate it. I don’t like to just train. This is the hardest thing. Imagine, you arrived after your vacation, you have a tan, everything is fine, you’re happy. And your coach calls you and says, ‘Well, Sash? Tomorrow we begin training.’ You go to training, then rest, then another training session. I hate it, I can’t stand it.”
He added jokingly, “I just want to be done with hockey.”
Ovechkin is currently in Moscow for the start of the offseason but shared he’ll also head to Turkey for part of his summer break. The big winger normally works with longtime trainer Pavel Burlachenko before returning to DC in the fall.
Burlachenko is a former competitive pole vaulter, though his high-flying skills have not translated to Ovechkin.
“Of course, [I’ve jumped before,]” Ovechkin said. “Result? Not very good. And other sports – for example, we do a warmup and play soccer. Just to warm up. If there is a basketball hoop, we’ll be happy to throw it around.”
Ovechkin told reporters at the Capitals’ Breakdown Day in April that he and Burlachenko have plans to switch up his routine this summer. Washington’s captain missed only three games this season due to injury, but the grind of the schedule wore him down as he went scoreless in a playoff series for the first time in his career.
In past years, Ovechkin has had a Crossfit-esque training regiment that includes off-ice workouts like running and bike riding. Burlachenko regularly has him try new things to keep the process fresh. Ovechkin has been open about his desire to switch things up as he ages.
“Well, of course, before the season you will need to get in shape,” Ovechkin said. “It’s clear that you’re gaining extra pounds – you’re not moving, you’re resting. Of course, you will need to get into normal physical condition and maybe even lose weight. Well, I seem to look fine now.”
Despite his disdain for summer training, Ovechkin has still become arguably the greatest goal-scorer in hockey history. After tallying just eight goals in his first 43 games last season, Ovechkin bounced back hard after the All-Star break and scored 23 more goals to become the first player in NHL history to have eighteen 30-goal seasons.
Next season will be Ovechkin’s 20th in the NHL. He has two years remaining on a five-year extension he signed with Washington in the summer of 2021. He has said previously that he believes he will retire at the end of that deal.
“I always said I love this game so much,” Ovechkin told reporters in April. “So, if I’m not gonna be able to and I’m not gonna feel the love and I’m not gonna feel comfortable to play, I’m not gonna play.”
