HC Washington appreciated Ovechkin's leadership influence on the team

Alexander Ovechkin, the Russian forward and captain of the Washington Capitals hockey club, has a tremendous influence on the team. This was announced on April 20 by Brian McLellan, the club's president of hockey operations.

"His presence plays a huge role. And when he decides to leave, it will be a big loss in terms of personality and leadership qualities. You can see how he affects the team: on the plane, on the bus, in the locker room, at the pre-match warm-up. He has a powerful influence, and, in my opinion, this is his main contribution now," the RMNB portal quotes McLellan.

The current agreement of the 40-year-old hockey player with Washington is calculated until the end of the 2025/26 season. Ovechkin himself had previously announced that he would decide on the future of his career in the summer.

Metropolitan opinion: will Ovechkin's club reach the NHL playoffs

Washington fans have two intrigues — will the legendary forward stay for another year and will the team compete for the Stanley Cup

Chris Patrick, general manager of HC Washington Capitals, said on April 20 that the club would give Ovechkin time to decide on a contract extension and stressed that they would support him in any case. At the same time, the general manager stated that he was ready to motivate the Russian athlete to stay in order to win the Stanley Cup, which the club aspires to.