Alex Ovechkin May Retire After Breaking Wayne Gretzky's Record

Washington Capitals ice hockey left winger and captain Alexander Ovechkin is 11 career NHL goals away from The Great One, Wayne Gretzky's career NHL goals of 894. Would Alex Ovechkin retire after breaking The Great One's record?
Talking to ESPN's Linda Cohn in 2019 about breaking Wayne Gretzky's record, Alex Ovechkin replied, "It'll be nice. I'm not gonna lie, but you know it's still a long way to go. I don't know how many pucks are behind them, but you know, before Gretzky, it's a great name out there." About retiring thereafter, Alex Ovechkin shared, "You're probably never going to see me on the ice again." Linda responded, "Instant retirement." and chuckled.



An excerpt from Russian Journalist Igor Rabiner's interview with Alex Ovechkin in February 2024:
Rabiner asked, "Do you follow the KHL? Your long-time teammate Ilya Kovalchuk, who returned to hockey at the age of 40?"
Alex replied, "I check the score periodically. Ilya is great. We talked to him recently. Getting ready for playoffs. I think this man, with his health and approach to business, can play until he is 50 years old. The most important thing is that he himself wants it."

Rabiner asked, "Can you reach 50?"
Ovechkin said, "No!"
Rabiner questioned, "Will you finish out your current contract in NHL, and that's it?"
Ovechkin responded, "I think, yes."
Rabiner quizzed, "And, if you don't manage to break Gretzky's goal record, won't you re-sign for the season?"
Ovechkin retorted, "I don't like the word 'if'. We live today, we play, we move on."

In September 2019, Washington Capitals ice hockey left winger Alex Ovechkin was interviewed by Sportsnet's Elliotte Freidman. Alex Ovechkin shared in the interview,
"Of course, it (breaking Wayne Gretzky's record) matters. But, like I said, I'm not going to score 300 goals in two years. It's going to take five or six years. I have to be healthy enough to do that. I don't want to play just for that record. I want to be healthy, I want to have fun, I want to enjoy the moment when I'm on the ice."
Alex Ovechkin recently spoke for the young Russian NHL players, "Work, and everything will be fine. The most important thing is not showing off. Because when anyone shows off, it can come back to bite you in a big way."


According to Bolavip, In 2021, Alex Ovechkin signed a 5-year contract extension of $47.5 million. Alex Ovechkin receives an average annual salary of $9.5 million. He's one of the highest-paid NHL players. The contract also mentioned a $34 million signing bonus and an annual salary of $5 million for the 2024-2025 NHL season. Ovechkin's current contract will take him through the 2025-2026 NHL season.
Bolavip also shared about Alex's will to retire, "Alex Ovechkin has indicated that he plans to retire after fulfilling his current contract with the Washington Capitals. Although he announced the possibility of retiring in two years, he left open the chance to continue if he feels good."
Also Read: How far is Alex Ovechkin from Wayne Gretzky's career NHL goals? | NHL News - The Times of India