Alex Ovechkin confirmed his retirement plan in a recent interview

"As long as I enjoy [playing], as long as I get a thrill out of it, there's no point in finishing," Ovechkin said in an interview transcribed by sports.ru and translated by Google Translate. He elaborated on the challenges of returning from vacation, where he partakes in activities like volleyball and casual gym sessions, to the rigorous training required for hockey. "The hardest period is after vacation. You've played volleyball, gone to the gym for fun, and when you come out [from vacation], you need to run cross-country, lift heavy weights, go on a diet. And then you think: ‘Why do I need this, I have everything, I have enough of everything.' But after three to four days of suffering like that, you get into a routine and realize you still love this business. If I didn't love it, I would have finished already."

"In Russia, all my friends, relatives, Nastya's relatives are here too," Ovechkin said. "I feel more comfortable in Russia at the moment than there. [When] our season is ending, and we want to fly home right away because we miss home, our family, our friends."