Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin isn’t sure if this coming NHL season will be his final one in the league.
Following the start of on-ice action at Capitals training camp on Thursday, Ovechkin, who left practice with a lower-body injury, told reporters he’s not made a decision yet on his future.
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“I don’t know if this is going to be the last. We’ll see,” Ovechkin said, via Sammi Silber of The Hockey News.
Ovechkin, who turned 40 this week, is entering his 21st season with the franchise and the final year of his contract with the Capitals. He said he has not had any discussions with general manager Chris Patrick and president of hockey operations Brian MacLellan.
Patrick said Thursday that the team isn’t sure which way the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer is leaning when it comes to a decision and that they will give him time to figure out what he wants to do next.
“I want him to have the space to have this season go how he wants it to go,” Patrick said. “If he wants to talk, we’ll talk. If not, we’ll figure it out later.”
In April, Ovechkin scored his 895th career goal to break Wayne Gretzky’s long-standing NHL record. He finished with 44 goals last season with the Capitals, the 14th time he’s scored at least 40 goals in a season.
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Ovechkin enters this season three goals away from becoming the first player in league history with 900 regular-season goals.
“I’m excited for 900. That will be really neat to see,” Patrick said. “I’m just at a point where every time I see him play, I’m just appreciating it, because he’s 40 years old. We’re not going to have this forever. To get to witness it every night is a treat.”
Other milestones in reach for Ovechkin this season include most NHL goals regular season and playoffs combined (Ovechkin: 974, Gretzky: 1,106), most 50-goal seasons (Ovechkin and Mike Bossy: 9) and most goals scored by a 40-year-old (Gordie Howe: 44, 1968-69).
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 NHL draft entered the league and immediately made an impact, scoring 52 goals during his first season and earning the 2005-06 Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie. His ability to beat goaltenders on a regular basis has earned him nine Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophies as the league’s top goal scorer.
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Other accolades Ovechkin has earned includes three Hart Trophies as regular-season MVP, eight appearances as an NHL first-team All-Star, and a Stanley Cup title and playoff MVP in 2018.
The Capitals will begin their final season with Ovechkin on Oct. 8 when they host the Boston Bruins.
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