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Alex Ovechkin Confirms Whether He Will Retire After Breaking NHL Goal Record

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Tom Banks | Last updated Apr 17, 2025 12:40 PM ET

Alex Ovechkin's future has come into question after making NHL history, but ahead of a matchup with his biggest rival, he's confirmed he won't be retiring.

This past season has been all about Alex Ovechkin, and with an incredible run at 39-years of age, he's now officially the NHL's all time goals leader after passing Wayne Gretzky.

Given all that he's accomplished, many believed that this could be the end of the line for The Great 8, but others look at 43 goals in his 21st season and see plenty of juice left in the tank.

That was a question raised to Ovi ahead of his matchup with long-time rival Sidney Crosby, as one reporter asked if it was important if he played 87 for what could be the last time in his career.

The question prompted the long-time Capitals captain to reveal he's not retiring, and with the team holding the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, it's no surprise as he's still clearly got plenty to play for.

I'm not retiring, so.

That's great news for not only the Capitals but the NHL, as Ovechkin is one of the biggest stars the league has ever seen, and while there's a great young generation of stars coming through, there's still nothing that compares to the Great 8 doing what he does best.

While he potted 43 goals this season, Ovechkin definitely showed some signs of slowing down, so while it's very unlikely that he plays until he's 45 years of age, his response shows that he's got at least one more year left in the tank.

After already passing Gretzky, there's questions on how untouchable Ovechkin could make his goal record, so while he's confirmed he won't retire this summer, the questions will persist until he eventually does.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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