Capitals' Alex Ovechkin 'pretty sure' he'll extend 21-year NHL career

TL;DR

Alex Ovechkin is confident that the 2025-26 NHL season will not be his last, despite hitting free agency in July. He expressed his hopes following a loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Key points

Alex Ovechkin is confident about continuing his NHL career.
He is set to become a free agent in July.
The Capitals lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets in their final game.
Ovechkin has played 21 seasons in the NHL.

Alex OvechkinWashington CapitalsColumbus Blue Jackets

Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin is set to hit free agency in July. File Photo by Archie Carpenter/UPI

April 16 (UPI) -- Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin is "pretty sure" the 2025-26 NHL campaign was not his last season, he told reporters Thursday.

Uncertainty about Ovechkin's future built up throughout his 21st season, which ended with a loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday in Columbus, Ohio.

"To be honest with you, I'm pretty sure it's not my last game," Ovechkin said at a news conference Thursday in Arlington, Va. "I hope it's not my last game, against Columbus.

"I have to make a decision to see where we're at. The team, family. Obviously, the family is going to support me, my wife and kids. The kids are already asking me, 'Dad, are you staying or no?' And I tell them, 'We'll see.' They're excited. They want me to come back. They love the city. They love the team. They love the boys."

Ovechkin, who joined the Capitals as the top pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, is to become an unrestricted free agent July 1. The Capitals were 43-30-9 in 2025-26 and missed the playoffs for just the fifth time since Ovechkin joined the franchise.