Alex Ovechkin truly didn't know if he'd be back.

Last year was an emotional season for the longtime Washington Capitals captain, as he said goodbye to longtime teammate John Carlson and saw his team just miss out on a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. All the while, he hit a couple more milestones, adding to his record with 929 goals and passing 1,000 combined regular season and playoff goals.

So, as he weighed his future, a lot came into consideration; he's healthy and still has a love for the game, but at the same time, there's a toll beyond the physical one that comes with playing another year.

"I'm going to be 41 years old," Ovechkin said. "I have lots of pressures on my shoulders through all the years."

Ultimately, for Ovechkin, it came down to family.

Every day, he fielded questions from not just reporters and critics, but from his kids, his wife, Nastya and their extended family, on whether or not he'd return for another year. Then, after seeing what his Capitals added this summer, and getting the stamp of approval from Nastya, who played a big part in his decision-making process, he announced he would give it another go.

"Obviously, family is first thing in our lives," Ovechkin said, adding, "When you can see we have that type of team, what we have to win one more time Stanley Cup, it's one of the big reasons. My wife tell me, 'Let's go, one more.'"

After that, it took all of about 10 minutes to put a pen to paper and sign a one-year extension with the Capitals.

The reaction was visceral, as his family — especially his young sons, Sergei and Ilya — friends and fans alike celebrated. Ovechkin's phone also blew up with texts from teammates and notifications, solidifying that his choice was the right one.

"It was very emotional moment for me... it means a lot that people want me coming back, people want to see me," Ovechkin said. "It was very emotional and that's very important for me as well."

For Ovechkin, it's also an exciting time to be returning following a busy offseason for general manager Chris Patrick, where Washington brought in more depth with Jordan Kyrou, Alex Tuch, Boone Jenner and Vincent Desharnais.

Not only does he want to be a part of that experience, but he wants to add to it, too, feeling he still has a lot to give.

"When you look at our roster, it's Stanley Cup contender... I know I can still play and bring energy to the locker room, energy on the ice and give what I can give," Ovechkin said.

Ovechkin is currently vacationing in Turkey, where he's also in the gym and playing beach volleyball to stay in shape. He'll then return to Moscow, where he'll start skating and working out with longtime trainer Pavel Burlachenko to prepare for the upcoming campaign.

Ovechkin doesn't know what the future will hold beyond this season, and didn't say whether he plans for 2026-27 to be his final ride.

What he does know, though, is that he's ready to take the ice and do what he can to chip in, and isn't letting any pressure get to him.

After all, it's just about going out and doing what he loves.

“Well, it's a total different thing when you're young and when you 22 or 23, you (feel) every pressure in a different way. Right now, I'm experienced about it, and I know how to handle it," Ovechkin said. "I'm not worried about what people gonna say, what people gonna write, because I know myself.

"I'm just going to focus on the game and how to help my team win."