Ovechkin says this is it. One last NHL season.

Alex Ovechkin made it official Monday: this will be his final NHL season. He told his Capitals teammates first, then Washington announced the decision 21 years to the day after his NHL debut. The greatest goal scorer in league history has put an end date on the chase.

Ovechkin begins the farewell with 929 regular-season goals, 1,688 points and 1,575 games, all with Washington. He captained the franchise to its first Stanley Cup in 2018. At 41, he is not trying to establish the shape of his career. He is adding the last chapter to one of the clearest legacies in hockey.

A farewell season with real stakes

The numbers still matter. Ovechkin needs 12 points to reach 1,700 and 25 games to reach 1,600. He is also 11 combined regular-season and playoff goals from moving past Wayne Gretzky's 1,016 combined total. That is a different record from the 929 regular-season goals that already place Ovechkin first in NHL history.

There is another mark built around endurance. One more 20-goal season would tie Gordie Howe's record of 22. Ovechkin has made extraordinary scoring look routine for two decades. Twenty goals at 41 would be one more reminder that routine was never the right word.

Enjoy it without turning it into a funeral

Now every road stop becomes a farewell, whether the home crowd likes Washington or not. That can become exhausting if every night is treated like a memorial service. Ovechkin's own message was simpler: enjoy the season because time moves fast. Hockey should take him at his word.

The right way to watch is not to pretend the ending has already happened. Watch the shot. Watch the race to 1,700 points. Watch whether Washington can give its captain one more spring that matters. The goodbye can wait until the final horn.