Alex Ovechkin plans to decide his future sometime after the Capitals finish the regular season, a 23-game stretch when play resumes Wednesday following the break for the Winter Games.
Ovechkin, 40, said he spent the extended time away from the regularly scheduled NHL programming by taking a trip to Dubai with his family.
“You have to enjoy your time, spend time with the family. Don’t think about hockey,” he told NHL.com on Thursday.
With 48 points in 59 games, Ovechkin likely benefited from the time off the ice as much as any player. He had only two goals in a span of 13 games prior to the Olympic break. He said he knows he can do more to lift Washington’s chances.
“I have to do more because I’m a leader and I have to lead the way and start getting points,” he said.
Currently in a longshot predicament to reach the postseason, Ovechkin said he realizes Washington might need to win “almost every game” to get back to the playoffs. The Capitals are four points behind Boston for the second wild card in the East and sit in fourth place, four points behind the New York Islanders, in the Metropolitan Division.
Ovechkin wraps up a five-year contract he signed in 2021 when the current season ends. He has 919 regular-season goals and counting. But when it comes to reconciling his achievements with what’s next, Ovechkin said he “probably” will pause before making that determination when Washington’s season is over.
“No, I don’t know yet,” Ovechkin told NHL.com. “We have to make a decision. We have to talk with the family, with (Capitals owner) Ted (Leonsis), (general manager Chris Patrick), and then we’ll see.”
