Ovechkin Says He Hopes To Play In 2026 Winter Olympics

As Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin chases down Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL goals record and enters the final two years of his contract, he has his sights set on the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.

Ovechkin spoke on the possibility of playing in the games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, with R-Sport , saying that he wants to be able to compete on the international stage again.

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Ultimately, though, he acknowledged that the decision is not up to him, but the International Ice Hockey Federation. The IIHF has suspended Russian national teams from competitions since 2022 amid the invasion of Ukraine.

"I don't know what's even going to happen there," Ovechkin said. "Yes, we want to play in the Olympics, but if they won't let us, what do we do?"

Fifteen Russians just participated in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris as "Individual Neutral Athletes."

Regarding whether or not the NHL will have any influence over the IIHF allowing Russian players to participate, Ovechkin said he has no place in those conversations.

"We'll see. It's not like I'm in the leadership of the NHL. The NHL Players' Association and the NHL are different things," Ovechkin pointed out.

Related: Ovechkin Visited Kuznetsov In Russia After Move To KHL, Says He Supports Ex-Capitals Center As He Starts Over: 'We Have A Great Relationship'

Ovechkin has participated in three Olympic Games: 2006 in Turin, 2010 in Vancouver and 2014 in Sochi. He first played on the international stage at the senior level with Russia in 2004 in the IIHF World Championship.

The 38-year-old is entering his 20th NHL season with 853 career goals. He sits 42 away from breaking Gretzky's all-time record, a feat he hopes to accomplish over the next two years.

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