Alex Ovechkin's mom is playing a role in his retirement decision as Capitals wait

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Alex Ovechkin's mom is playing a role in his retirement decision as Capitals wait originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Washington Capitals are waiting to see whether Alex Ovechkin will continue playing in the NHL.

In the meantime, as Ovi contemplates retirement, his mother is a part of the family decision-making process.

That's what ESPN's Emily Kaplan reported in a new article this week:

"Alex Ovechkin returned to Moscow last week, and from everything I'm hearing, little has changed in his situation. The decision appears to be whether to retire from the NHL or return to Washington on a one-year contract. Ovechkin's mother, Tatiana -- one of his closest confidants -- has also been in Russia as he considers the next step."

Ovechkin is the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer and has only ever played for the Capitals. As Kaplan writes, there's nowhere else he'd play this season besides Washington.

But will he keep playing at all? That appears less certain.

"The most recent timeline I was given was around the draft -- before or shortly after -- when many players begin ramping up offseason training," Kaplan writes. "But if Ovechkin needs more time, the Capitals appear willing to give it to him. Communication has remained open between Ovechkin and the organization as both sides continue to work through key questions, including what his role would look like next season. That conversation is particularly notable after Washington hired power-play coach Ray Bennett."

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The Capitals were very particular with Ovechkin already in 2025-26. They didn't give him a single start to a shift in the defensive zone until the final month of the season.

Ovechkin had a quality season, too, scoring 32 goals and dishing out 32 assists. He played in all 82 regular season games.

He'll turn 41 years old in September, before the next season starts, but the Capitals don't seem to mind.

In the end, Ovechkin and his family will figure out what makes the most sense. The Caps will hope they aren't waiting too, too long.

More NHL news:​

• Henrik Sedin's son is excelling in a different sport
• Elias Petersson trade plans may be missing a key point
• Would the Maple Leafs trade Easton Cowan?
• Alex Ovechkin doesn't have Evgeni Malkin's problem
• Penguins have $42.5 million lack of excuse for letting Evgeni Malkin leave

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