WASHINGTON, April 15. /TASS/. Washington Capitals’ captain Alexander Ovechkin hopes that Tuesday night's regular season finale against the Columbus Blue Jackets isn't the last game of his storied NHL career, the Capitals' press service said.

In their final match of the 2025/2026 season on April 14, the Capitals defeated the Blue Jackets 2-1 with Ovechkin assisting on the winning goal. The Russian earlier stated that he would make a decision about his future later this summer.

"I don’t know what’s going to happen," Ovechkin was quoted as saying. "And the fans who came here from DC and from different spots to watch the game, it was very nice. I can hear them cheering for me and screaming, ‘One more year!’… I hope it’s not my last game, so we will see."

"Probably like right now, we’re going to have end of [season] meetings. And then I’m going to stay a little bit in DC. I don’t know when we’re going to fly; probably in May we’ll fly back home," he added.

On April 6, 2025, Ovechkin scored his 895th career regular season goal in a game against the New York Islanders, passing legend Wayne Gretzky for most all-time (894 goals). As of today, the Russian player has scored 929 goals in the regular season and 77 in the playoffs (1,006 if combined).

So now, Ovechkin is within reach of Gretzky’s combined regular season and playoff goals record, once thought untouchable. He’s just 10 away from tying the Great One’s 1,016 goals (894 in regular season and 122 in playoffs).

This NHL season, Ovechkin appeared in all 82 games for Washington, scoring 32 goals and dishing out 32 assists for the Capitals.

Ovechkin is signed with the Washington Capitals through 2026. The Russian forward has played his entire NHL career with the Washington Capitals, who selected him with the 1st overall pick in the 2004 draft. Ovechkin led the Caps to a Stanley Cup title in 2018, the only one of his career, and the only one in the club's history.

In 2008, 2012 and 2014, "Ovie," as he is called by his fans, won gold medals at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championships to go along with his two silver and four bronze medals at the world championships.

Ovechkin has won a slew of NHL awards in his career, including the Calder Memorial Trophy (2006), Art Ross Trophy (2008), Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy (2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020), Hart Memorial Trophy (2008, 2009, 2013), Lester B. Pearson Award/Ted Lindsay Award (2008, 2009, 2010), Conn Smythe Trophy (2018) and others.