Alex Ovechkin keeps it 100% real when asked about Capitals retiring his jersey No. 8

Alex Ovechkin was asked on Saturday if the Washington Capitals plan to retire his No. 8 jersey while he was in Yekaterinburg, Russia. He was taking part in a farewell game for former Detroit Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk at UGMK Arena.

When reporters brought up the subject, Ovechkin said:

"As for the idea of my number being retired by the Capitals, call Washington and find out about it."

He said Datsyuk, a longtime Red Wings star, deserves to have his No. 13 retired.

"Of course, he deserves it. But I don't work for Detroit, so I can't say anything." Ovi said.

Datsyuk had a standout career with Detroit. He played 953 regular season games, scoring 314 goals and 918 points. In playoffs, he added 113 points in 157 games. He won two Stanley Cups, three Selke Trophies, and was named one of the NHL’s 100 greatest players.

Detroit has announced Sergei Fedorov’s No. 91 will be retired on Jan. 12, 2026, before a game against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Alex Ovechkin’s legacy in Washington is already set. He is the Capitals’ all-time points leader and earlier this year, he passed Wayne Gretzky to become the NHL’s all time leading goal scorer with 897 goals.

Alex Ovechkin plans to keep wearing Capitals jersey

Alex Ovechkin will turn 40 on Sept. 17 and is entering the final year of his five-year contract. With his career in its later stages, retirement is a question many have raised. But Ovechkin says he hasn’t thought about it yet.

"To be honest with you, I haven’t thought about it yet, but we’ll see what’s going to happen," Ovechkin said on May 17 following the Capitals' playoff exit. "Obviously, I’m going to try to do my best to be able to do well next year, and we’ll see."

He missed 16 games with an injury last season but still scored 44 goals. He is three goals away from 900 and nine games away from 1,500.