TORONTO — Alex Ovechkin sat on the bench joking with teammates as the Zamboni made a final few passes.
The Washington Capitals captain then began to stretch by himself along the boards and had a long chat with head coach Spencer Carbery as they circled the Scotiabank Arena ice.
Ovechkin, the NHL's all-time goal king at age 40, has demonstrated once again he can still compete in a league that continues to get younger and faster.
He also won't be making a decision on the future until after his 21st campaign.
Ovechkin announced Wednesday in a taped message he would wait until the off-season to make the call on continuing to play a sport he has dominated from a goal-scoring perspective for the last two decades.
"It's just health-wise, talk to my family … we'll see," the Russian winger said before Washington blanked the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0. "If I was 35 or 25, it's one thing. But when you're 40, you have to think for the future."
Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky's mark of 894 goals a year ago Monday and currently sits at 928 for his career. The Russian with a lethal shot that's terrorized netminders since 2005 has a team-high 31 goals in 2025-26 — the 20th time he's bagged at least 30 — and also leads the Capitals with 61 points.
"I still enjoy it, I still have fun," he said. "I'm still happy to be with the boys in the locker room."
Washington picked up a crucial victory Wednesday and now turns its attention to a home-and-home with the Pittsburgh Penguins before visiting the Columbus Blue Jackets to wrap up the regular-season schedule. The Capitals have yet to be eliminated from playoff contention, but sit three points back of the Eastern Conference's second wild-card spot.
Carbery said Ovechkin, whose contract expires June 30 and might have just played his final game in Canada, has the organization's full support.
"He's earned that right," said the coach. "He'll be welcomed with open arms … (or) if this is it, we'll support him that way, and I'll celebrate him and give him a big hug and have a cold beer."
Capitals centre Dylan Strome said it's been an honour to play alongside Ovechkin.
"Unbelievable," he said. "You learn so much from a guy like that on a day-to-day basis — how he treats people, how he treats his teammates, how he has fun with the game."
Ovechkin, whose next trip to Toronto might be for his Hockey Hall of Fame induction a few blocks away in the coming years, scored a career-high 65 times in 2007-08 and reached 50 in eight other seasons. He also had 48 goals in 68 games in 2019-20 before the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered the North American sports world.
"A special player in this league for so long," Capitals netminder Logan Thompson said. "Everyone in the room knows he can still play if he wants. But it's going to be a sad day whenever he decides to hang 'em up."
The No. 1 overall pick at the 2004 draft has registered 1,684 points (928 goals, 756 assists) in 1,569 regular-season games. Ovechkin has added 147 points (77 goals, 70 assists) in 161 playoff contests, including the Capitals' only Stanley Cup victory in 2018.
"The game's changed almost every year," he said. "More faces come into the league, and you can see how fast they are, how skilled they are. And obviously you have to adjust yourself, your body, your mind … it's life."
Ovechkin, who wouldn't say if suiting up in the Russian-based KHL is an option, has 1,005 combined regular-season and playoff goals in the NHL, which is just 11 back of Gretzky.
The chase of Gretzky's record last season resulted in rock star-like fanfare around the league each time the Capitals came to town.
If this is indeed the end, Ovechkin is going about it his way.
"He doesn't want the big sendoff," Strome said. "You're just trying to be there for him and enjoy the time to get to play with him. He never takes the game for granted."
Carbery said Ovechkin has proven people wrong since entering the league.
"Anything that you don't think Alex Ovechkin can do, you're sorely mistaken," said the coach. "You think maybe the goals have dried up … all of a sudden, he scores nine goals in 12 games. Next thing you know, you look at the stat pack, and he's got 30 goals on the season, and he's 40 years old. You just shake your head.
"It's hard enough to score 10 goals in the National Hockey League, and Ovi at 40 has 30. He defies all logic."
Father time, however, remains undefeated. A day is coming when Ovechkin and his wide grin — minus a front tooth — will no longer be in the NHL.
"Hard to imagine," Strome said. "It's gonna be weird, whenever that time may be, without Ovi."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 8, 2026.
Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
