Ovechkin was named as the winner of the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award on Friday, the league announced.
The award is presented to the player “who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice, and who plays a leading role in his community growing the game of hockey.”
In his 20th NHL season, Ovechkin made NHL history this season when he passed Wayne Gretzky for most career regular-season goals with his 895th on April 6.
As part of his chase for Gretzky’s record, Ovechkin, the Capitals, Hockey Fights Cancer and The V Foundation For Cancer Research partnered on “THE GR8 CHASE for Victory Over Cancer,” an initiative to raise awareness and funds for pediatric cancer research. Ovechkin, starting with his 885th career goal, is donating money for every goal he scores during the remainder of his NHL career, with Monumental Sports & Entertainment matching his contributions.
Ovechkin, who turns 40 in September, has one season left on his five-year, $47.5 million contract he signed in 2021. He said he has no plans to retire at this point.
“I’m going to use those couple months (in the off-season) to rest, enjoy my life, then back to work,” Ovechkin said last week. “Me and (trainer Pavel Burlachenko are) going do our job to get ready for the season and just do my best.”
Ovechkin led the Capitals with five goals in 10 games this post-season, but had just one goal in the second round against the Carolina Hurricanes as he and the team fell short of the Eastern Conference Final for the 15th time in 16 appearances during his career. The other time was their Stanley Cup run in 2018, when Ovechkin won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
Going into next season, Ovechkin wants to work toward chasing a second championship.
“I’m looking forward for next year,” Ovechkin said. “I’m going to try to do my best to play and my team is going to help me, too. … I just want to come back next year and see the team who’s capable of winning the Stanley Cup.”
Beyond that, he’s not sure what the future holds when his contract comes to an end.
“I haven’t thought about it yet, but we’ll see what’s going to happen,” Ovechkin said. “I’m going to try to do my best to be able to do well next year, and we’ll see.”
— With files from the Associated Press
