If Alex Ovechkin needed approval from his mother, Tatyana Ovechkina, to play another season in the NHL, he\u2019s got it.<\/p>\n
The Washington Capitals have just six games remaining in the 2025-26 season, and Ovechkin, the team\u2019s 40-year-old captain, has not committed to signing on for another year. He has previously said that he plans to play out the entire season before determining his future<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ovechkina, back in her native Russia, recently shared her opinion with TASS<\/a> on whether her son should play another season in the NHL.<\/p>\n \u201cIf he has the desire, the health, and the ability, then why not continue playing?\u201d Ovechkina said<\/a>, per a translation by Google Translate. \u201cLet him play. But whether he has the strength for another NHL season \u2013 that\u2019s something you\u2019ll have to ask him.\u201d<\/p>\n Ovechkina\u2019s words come shortly after Sportsnet\u2019s Nick Kypreos reported\u00a0that Ovechkin is not interested in a farewell tour<\/a> and liked how Wayne Gretzky announced his retirement ahead of his final regular-season game.<\/p>\n Ovechkin\u2019s health after the season remains the most talked-about factor in discussions about his potential to extend his career with the Capitals. The NHL\u2019s all-time leading goal scorer recently told former Caps teammate TJ Oshie, in an interview spot for ESPN<\/a>, that how his body feels once the year ends will ultimately determine his future.<\/p>\n Ovechkin has not missed a single game for the Capitals so far this season, and he is slated to play a full 82-game schedule for the first time since he was 32 years old (2017-18). In his 21st career season, Ovechkin remains the Capitals\u2019 most productive player, leading the team in scoring with 59 points (31g, 28a) in 76 games.<\/p>\n