Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin says he will wait until after the season to make a decision on whether to continue his NHL career, as speculation grows that his recent game in Toronto could be his final outing.
“If I was 35 or 25, it would be one thing, but when you’re 40, you’ve got to think about the future,” Ovechkin said, according to Sportsnet.
The 40-year-old, who is in the final year of his contract, has remained productive this season with 31 goals in 78 games and insists he still enjoys playing.
“Still enjoy it. Still enjoy it. Still happy to be in the locker room with the guys.”
Ovechkin, who broke Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goalscoring record last year, is also getting closer to another milestone.
Gretzky recorded a combined 1,016 goals in the regular season and playoffs, while Ovechkin currently sits at 1,005.
“Well, of course people talk about it,” Ovechkin said. “But I’m focusing on different things right now.”
Since the Capitals are still in the playoff race, he said his future would be discussed later.
When Ovechkin was asked about his pending retirement, he said, “We’re still fighting for a playoff spot, so we’ll talk after the year.”
Despite the increased attention, Ovechkin rejected the idea of a farewell tour.
“Well, because I don’t know if this is the end of it or not, so we’ll find out,” he said.
