Tallying the regular schedule together with the playoffs, Alex Ovechkin has now piled up a career total of 1,000 goals — making him just the second man in league history to get there. He hit the figure earlier this week, beating Colorado on a one-timer with the man advantage.
Thursday brought another landmark, as Ovechkin notched the 34th hat trick of his career. That output leaves him a mere 13 goals shy of Wayne Gretzky, whose total of 1,016 tops the combined all-time list. Because Washington has only nine regular-season contests left in 2025-26 and looks unlikely to qualify for the playoffs, and with his deal set to run out in July, Ovechkin would in all likelihood require one more campaign to climb past Gretzky.
For his part, Ovechkin has stopped short of promising another NHL season, repeatedly stating that he will weigh everything after the schedule concludes. Yet a person close to him — Sergei Fedorov, who skated alongside him in Washington and has long acted as a mentor — argues that hunting one of the few scoring records Gretzky still holds ought to be reason enough for Ovechkin to commit to 2026-27.
Speaking with Pavel Lysenkov of Match TV — as rendered in an @Uggg\_uggg translation — Fedorov said the record is just about the only argument in favor of continuing. He added that Sasha is in a good place with his family, who stand behind him completely, his mother most of all, and concluded that if the strength remains, Ovechkin ought to see the pursuit through, since the mark on the line is one destined to endure for generations.
Although Ovechkin has welcomed the praise tied to this latest feat, he has been quick to minimize its weight relative to the rest of what he has accomplished.
Fedorov went on to say that nobody lasts this long in the sport without genuinely loving it, and certainly not for the paycheck alone.
He believes Ovechkin treasures — is even devoted to — the idea of carrying on, no matter the rink or how long it lasts. How that plays out, Fedorov suggested, will depend on the toll it takes on his body and his mindset. He also stated plainly that he knows Sasha longs for Russia, calling it only natural.
Fedorov speaks from rare experience, having cut short his own NHL run for a 2009 homecoming. Two campaigns in Washington capped his time stateside, after which he logged three more KHL seasons with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, then walked away from the game at 43.
Fedorov also said Ovechkin is right to take a wait-and-see stance — first finishing out the year, then settling on what comes next. He acknowledged that respected figures and well-known players are weighing in with advice, but pledged to stand behind Ovechkin regardless, telling Sasha his support is there whatever happens.
Whatever the decision, to keep going or to walk away, Fedorov called it splendid either way. Echoing a note he had once sent Ovechkin, he framed the feat as one that will echo through the ages, voiced his pride, praised the effort, and stressed above all that Sasha should stay healthy, wishing him both health and happiness.
Fedorov reflected as well on his time as Ovechkin’s teammate in the nation’s capital across two partial campaigns, a window during which a peaking Great 8 captured the Hart Trophy as league MVP in both 2008 as well as 2009.
According to Fedorov, Ovechkin was a tremendously powerful force. He recalled that Ovechkin eased up on linemates during practice but turned relentless once the games began, with opponents never anticipating the collisions and the heavy physical game. Fedorov noted that Sasha can appear not to be exerting much on his stride, yet once the contact arrives, bodies scatter in every direction.
Having spent some time removed from the sport, Fedorov has lately rejoined the CSKA Moscow bench to help steer the team through its playoff push. He previously oversaw the franchise as its GM across five years from 2012 to 2017, then handled head-coaching duties for a three-year run from 2021 to 2024, a two-time Gagarin Cup winner there, in 2022 as well as 2023.
As things stand, CSKA leads SKA Saint Petersburg 2-0 in the opening round, and Fedorov is slated to remain with the squad through whatever the postseason still holds.