All-time leading goal scorer Alexander Ovechkin dismissed reports of a possible retirement next season as ’nonsense,’ and previously noted that he plans to continue playing as long as his love for the game remains strong, reports Sammi Silber of DC Backcheck.
He told reporters during locker clean-out day that he fully intended to honor the final year of his contract but was unsure of his future beyond that, saying he hadn’t given any thought to whether or not he’d be open to extension talks with the Caps as soon as he becomes eligible to sign one on July 1. However, as Silber notes, speculation about Ovechkin’s potential retirement following next season was actually sparked by the Capitals themselves, when a social media post mistakenly referred to next season as the captain’s last. With one year left on his current deal and the goal-scoring record secured, the puzzle pieces were in place to assume next year would be Ovechkin’s last.
However, speaking with Russian-based Sport-Express, Ovechkin dismissed any retirement rumors as ’pure nonsense.’ He also hinted that anything could happen regarding his career, including a potential return to Russia to finish his playing days. That echoes comments Ovechkin made to Silber back in February, where he expressed his interest in playing for as long as his love for the game remains intact, which could include extending his NHL career.
Ovechkin, 39, proved last season that he isn’t slowing down. Not only did he break Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal-scoring mark, but he also scored 44 goals and 73 points in just 65 games. He added five goals in 10 playoff games this last season. Over the last four seasons (age 36-39), he has produced 167 goals and is just three away from 900 for his career.
Although Ovechkin has nothing left to prove in the NHL, he could reach the 1,000-goal milestone if he stays in the league. Remarkably, he continues to perform at a high level despite playing a physically demanding style throughout his career. Not only does Ovechkin have the most goals in league history, but is also third all-time in hits, trailing leader Cal Clutterbuck by less than 300.
He’s slow, And overweight now, He needs oxygen on the bench.
You need a new hobby
if i were slow and overwight i could also score 900 goals
As long as he scores 40 goals a season, he can play as long as he likes. :)
He’s going to score 1,000 NHL goals barring injury or a failed PED test and probably still even then.
Please do! I hope we see him score 4 digits career goals, might not ever get a chance to see anyone hit 1K in our lives
SparkytheGoldenSeals
17 hours ago
He’s slow, And overweight now, He needs oxygen on the bench.
God bless you Wilf, you continue to be a national treasure, a veritable Where’s Waldo of amusingly bad takes on the great game of hockey. As a bonus, you don’t shy away from doing it in large quantities, leaving us knowing that there is always another gem right around the corner.