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Alex Ovechkin Reveals His Goal for Next Season After Breaking Wayne Gretzky's Legendary Record

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Tom Banks | Last updated May 17, 2025 4:04 PM ET

Alex Ovechkin made plenty of NHL history in 2024/25, and now he's revealed a very intriguing goal ahead of what would be his 40-year old season in the NHL.

Coming into 2024/25, there were hopes that Alex Ovechkin could pass Wayne Gretzky on the all-time NHL goal scoring list, and although he played in just 65 games, he did just that by putting up an impressive 44 goals.

After being eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Carolina Hurricanes, Ovechkin has already been asked about his goals for next year, and his answer may surprise some Capitals fans.

According to reporter Sammi Silber, Ovechkin's goal for 2025/26 is to pass the skating test and simply make the roster at 40-years of age, but given all that he's given to this organization as their captain for two decades, it's safe to say that he's got a spot on the roster for as long as he wants.

Ovechkin ended the 2024/25 campaign at 897 goals, just three shy of becoming the first player in NHL history to pass 900 career goals scored, and with his contract set to expire after next year, it's going to be intriguing to see just how far ahead of Gretzky that the Great 8 wants to get.

For now, it's more likely than not that Ovechkin can make this roster next season and continues his stellar career, but with 40-years of age upon him, there haven't been many successful players that have played beyond that age.

Ultimately though, Ovechkin's time in the NHL is coming to an end, but if he has goals of one final run to the Stanley Cup, expect to see him motivated and pushing for one last campaign with his beloved Capitals.

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

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