The end of an era: Alexander Ovechkin's move to the KHL announced?

With two seasons remaining on his current contract, many are wondering if the famed number 8 can catch the greatest player of all time, especially as he will be celebrating his 39th birthday next September.

Of course, whether he breaks Gretzky's record or not, no one can take away everything he has accomplished in the league, having scored 853 goals and 697 assists (1550 points) in 1426 NHL games.

Additionally, due to his remarkable feats, he led the Washington Capitals to their very first Stanley Cup in 2018, finishing the playoffs with a total of 27 points, including 15 goals, in 24 games.

However, we have learned some rather surprising information about Ovy in the last few hours. Indeed, according to a report by Sammi Silber from "The Hockey News," the Washington Capitals captain would like to end his career in the KHL, specifically with Dynamo Moscow.

This is surprising, especially since after the 2025-2026 season, Alexander Ovechkin will be 41 years old, celebrating his 42nd birthday even before the next season begins.

Could the forward cause a surprise and leave earlier?

Even though the Capitals managed to qualify for the playoffs this season, Spencer Carbery's team will inevitably have to start a rebuilding process soon.

Considering Ovy is aging, does he really want to continue with a bottom-ranking team? Will the famous Gretzky record motivate him to keep playing for the Capitals?

It is hard to have answers to all these questions at the moment, but we may not be safe from a major surprise and Ovechkin's departure to his native country.

Certainly, the end of an era is approaching in the NHL as players like Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, Patrick Kane, and Evgeni Malkin, to name just a few, could all retire in the near future.

Selected first in the 2004 draft, the Capitals forward had a resurgence in the second half of this season, finishing the campaign with a total of 31 goals and 34 assists (65 points) in 79 games.