If This Is Supposed to Be Farewell, Alex Ovechkin Refuses to Act Like It

The Ovi Office isn’t closed for business—yet.

“Well, I don’t know if it’s going to be my last year or not,” Alex Ovechkin said Saturday after the Capitals’ 6–3 win over the Penguins. “People talk and say I’m going to retire. I didn’t say that, so we’ll see.”

If Ovechkin really hasn’t made his decision, the rest of the NHL isn’t taking the hint.

During a second-period media timeout during Saturday’s game, a video showing Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby sitting down together started on the Jumbotron. The pair came into the league together in the 2005–06 season and began one of the greatest individual rivalries the sport has ever seen. “I think it was a fun time, right?” Ovechkin said of the start of their careers.

Following the tribute, the crowd gave a standing ovation, which Ovechkin acknowledged. Chants of O-VI! O-VI! started. When those died down, the applause got a second wind and Ovechkin waved again to the fans as players from both benches tapped their sticks. Did I mention this was happening in Pittsburgh?

“It was nice,” Ovechkin said. “It was a show of respect. All the time that we spend with rivalries—playoffs, regular season—it shows respect.”

All the respect for #8 🤝 pic.twitter.com/UjT1Jsxu4P
— x - Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 11, 2026

From the outside, it seems as though Washington’s front office is prepared to usher in a new era. Last summer heading into Ovechkin’s 21st season, the Capitals sent an email to season ticket holders that their star player’s last season was approaching, which the team’s PR staff later said was an error. And just a few days after that snafu, quotes from his wife, Anastasia, appeared on a Russian news site also saying that this final year on his contract would be his last in the NHL before their family moves back home to Moscow.

But the 40-year-old has reiterated in recent weeks that he is waiting until after the Capitals’ season is over to make his decision on whether or not to continue playing. This Washington team is technically still in the playoff hunt, but there haven’t been any great expectations for much of this season. Other than his innate drive to win, there also isn’t much left for Ovechkin to achieve in his career. He has won the Art Ross trophy as league MVP three times; the Rocket Richard trophy as the leading goal-scorer 11 times; he is in the midst of his 20th 30-goal season; and don’t forget that all-time goals record he set just over a year ago. Most importantly, he has one Stanley Cup victory from 2018—a feat that took him 13 years to achieve and took the weight of the world off his shoulders.

Ovechkin’s career really only rivals that of one other current player—that kid named Sid he was sitting next to in the tribute video. “One day we will have dinner or lunch, talk about everything,” Ovechkin said. Saturday was supposed to be the 100th meeting between the two, but the Penguins (who had already clinched a playoff berth) announced that Crosby wasn’t going to play just hours before puck drop. Their teams play the second half of a home-and-home series on Sunday, which is also the Capitals’ final regular-season game in D.C.

According to Ovechkin’s own scouting report, he’s still expecting that head-to-head matchup to reach triple digits on Sunday. “I don’t care who’s playing, like we just need a big win. Obviously tomorrow [Crosby is] probably going to play, so, yeah.”

It’s fitting that Ovechkin’s final home game could come against the Penguins. Ovechkin, Crosby and Evgeni Malkin launched the post-lockout era in 2005. In Malkin, Ovi had a fellow countryman against whom he could go toe drag–to–toe drag. With Crosby, he had a fierce rivalry that defined their generation in hockey so much so it appeared to spark a smash-hit fanfic.

But unlike Crosby and Malkin, who are in their 21st season together in Pittsburgh, most of Ovechkin’s friends have left Washington over the years. Many of his teammates from his heyday have either retired or moved on to new teams. He still has Tom Wilson, the only other player on the current roster who was also on the 2018 Stanley Cup-winning team. There was John Carlson, who had played with Ovechkin since 2009, but he was traded to the Ducks on March 5. On that same day Nic Dowd, a shutdown center who joined the Caps a month after they won the Cup, was traded to the Golden Knights.

Even with Washington sending off key players at the trade deadline to start building toward a future, Ovechkin has continued playing like he always does: lights out. He’s still setting up shop in that left circle, using his lethal right-handed shot to keep Washington’s offense alive. He enters the Caps’ penultimate game of the regular season with a team-leading 32 goals and 30 assists.

With a 5–3 lead on Sunday and with the Penguins pulling their goalie for an extra attacker in the game’s waning minutes, Wilson found himself entering the Caps’ offensive zone with the puck. Wilson played a bit of hot potato with Ovechkin, practically insister the latter take advantage of the empty net and get (maybe) one last goal in Pittsburgh. After scoring, Ovechkin laughed and pointed at Wilson for the gesture.

Alex Ovechkin, Tom Wilson — Wilson (right) seemed to insist that Ovechkin get the empty-net goal to close out the Capitals’ win over the Penguins on Saturday. | Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

“I don't know how many times we passed it back and forth, but it felt like three or four,” Wilson said. “I mean, it’s what we say: It’s respect first. He’s a legend, and, you know, it’s always fun to assist on an Ovi goal.”

While he’s still popping up regularly on the scoresheet, Ovechkin is not playing as much as he used to, averaging about 17 minutes per game the last two seasons after seeing at least 20 for the majority of his career. Before this year’s trade deadline, he was limited to just offensive-zone face-offs. And there doesn’t seem to be as much speed or force when he’s out there. He has said that he’s a bit more old school when it comes to his training (peep the bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos he’s often seen carrying), but he’s known for doing his own workouts with his Russian trainer long after the Capitals have finished their practices.

How many of those practices are left for the Great 8?

After Saturday’s win, the Capitals walk into Sunday’s game with about an 8% chance of extending their season.

And if they do make it to the playoffs? Well, that’ll be a date against Crosby and the Penguins in the first round.

“We try to leave it all out there as hockey players, whether it’s the home crowd or the away crowd, it’s what makes hockey great is the blood, sweat and tears and [Ovechkin] has done a ton of that in this building,” Wilson said. “I think it’s awesome to see the Pittsburgh crowd give him that respect. Hopefully, you know, he keeps playing but if not it’s been a heck of a front-row seat from my perspective.”

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