Ovechkin retirement rumors heat up as NHL season winds down

If Alex Ovechkin has made his retirement decision, he seemingly hasn’t told anyone in the Washington Capitals organization.

Time is ticking for the NHL’s all-time leading goal-scorer to decide on his future. The Capitals, who are clinging to increasingly slim postseason hopes, have eight games remaining in the season. Then, all eyes will turn to the 40-year-old Russian who has served as the face of the franchise for two decades.

Ovechkin’s contract expires at the end of the season. Capitals general manager Chris Patrick has said Washington will welcome its captain back with open arms if he wants to keep playing in the NHL. “If” is the operative word.

The front office hasn’t had “that conversation” with the superstar, Patrick said in January.

“We don’t know,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said earlier this month. “[Ovechkin] hasn’t made a decision yet.”

In the meantime, the Capitals have operated like a team preparing for the future. Ovechkin and alternate captain Tom Wilson are the only players left from the 2018 squad that lifted the Stanley Cup. The franchise dealt defenseman John Carlson, who had spent the first 17 years of his NHL career in Washington, to the Anaheim Ducks ahead of the trade deadline.

The Capitals signed 19-year-old defenseman Cole Hutson to the NHL roster less than a week later, where he joined a group that already features rookies Ryan Leonard and Justin Sourdif.

Hutson is the first of Ovechkin’s teammates who was born after the Russian made his NHL debut in 2005.

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“I still love the game, coming here in the locker room, hanging out with the boys,” Ovechkin told former teammate T.J. Oshie on ESPN, noting that his body will be the top factor in his retirement decision. “Right now, hockey is so hard, so fast. I’m 40, and it’s hard to keep up with young guys.”

Whenever Ovechkin decides to hang up his skates and iconic yellow laces, fans shouldn’t expect a heads-up. The three-time MVP’s teammates and coaches note that he’s averse to the spotlight. A year-long retirement tour isn’t his style.

“I don’t think he wants things to be about himself,” said center Connor McMichael, who has spent five seasons with Ovechkin. “That’s the exact reason why he doesn’t want to do an announcement when it is time. He just wants it to be about the team.”

Besides, Ovechkin has already received enough media attention to last a lifetime. Last season’s “Great Chase” brought countless fans, reporters and cameras to Capitals games as Ovechkin passed Wayne Gretzky for the league’s all-time goals record.

When Ovechkin scored his 895th career goal against the New York Islanders last April, officials paused the game and rolled out a red carpet for a mid-game ceremony. Capitals owner Ted Leonsis gave Ovechkin a Rolex, a custom sculpture and a golden stick in honor of the achievement.

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The media circus encompassed much of the 2024-25 season, overshadowing a Capitals team that led the Eastern Conference in points.

“He doesn’t want to take the spotlight off the team and make it all about himself,” McMichael said. “He just wants to show up like a normal teammate and play his game and do what he does.

Ovechkin will be a normal teammate for at least eight more games. His Capitals entered the week five points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

“I don’t think it distracts us at all,” McMichael said of Ovechkin’s looming decision. “We’ve got bigger things to worry about.”

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Ticket prices for Washington’s final games have surged as both the postseason race and the retirement rumors have heated up.

The cheapest seat for Washington’s home finale against the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 12 is listed for $176 on VividSeats. The get-in price for the Capitals’ home games hovered around $53 throughout the season, according to TicketData.com.

For fans who can’t make it to the stadium, four of the Capitals’ final five games will air on national television. Ovechkin will likely attract a sizable TV audience eager to tune in to see what could be the record-holder’s final appearances as a Capital.

The Capitals return to home ice on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Flyers.

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• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.