Alexander Ovechkin is one of those players who is having a fantastic season. Why so? The Washington Capitals captain is chasing Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record and is now 17 goals away from breaking it. He has set a big bar in the current season, and so has his team, which is top in the Metropolitan Division with 77 points in 53 games.

While the Russian NHL star’s stint in the league is going all well, the concerns lie around his international dreams. Who doesn’t want to play for their country at an international event? However, for Ovechkin and many other Russian players, that’s impossible, owing to the restrictions set by the IIHF. And this fate will carry forward even during the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The mega event that will be featured in the coming year won’t feature Russia or Belarus. But what’s the players’ reaction to these international ice hockey events, owing to their rarity? According to a recent report by The Athletic, 110 players participated in a survey, and out of them, 81.82% of players do care about the event, leaving behind the rest, which accumulated up to 18.18%.

“The last time we had a full international, best-on-best tournament was the World Cup, and that was a week before I made the NHL. In my entire career, we haven’t had this… With the Olympics next year, you want to perform well — to obviously win the 4 Nations and hopefully be a part of more of these events in the next few seasons,” said a Canadian player who is interested in the event.

Indeed, the 4 Nations face-off will serve as a preparation for the upcoming Winter Olympics, and players from the US, Canada, Finland, and Sweden will take full advantage of this event. Similarly, another player who voted yes shared their thoughts, stating, “Just because it’s a precursor to the Olympics. As a fan of hockey, I’m watching it. I remember growing up; those are just such big hockey moments. For hockey in general, it’s great. It’s unfortunate we’ve missed the Olympics because it’s such a big worldwide event. I want to watch the best-on-best, too, and the best players want to play in them. It’s long overdue.”

With the best of the best coming to play in the 4 Nations Face-Off, it’s surely a big loss for Alexander Ovechkin. Indeed, even if he’s completely focused on the NHL, chasing that sweet all-time goal record of Gretzky and competing for his own country might’ve been a unique experience. However, that possibility for now is completely in the dark.

Russia and Belarus’ ban by the IIHF will end in May 2026. But by then, the Winter Olympics would’ve been over, as the event will take place from February 6, 2026, to February 20, 2026 (for the men’s tournament). Ovechkin is already 39 years old, and there are a few chances that he will still play in the next Winter Olympics. However, apart from the double misfortune of not being able to play in the 4 Nations face-off and the 2026 Winter Olympics, Ovie is already having a fantastic NHL season.

Alexander Ovechkin has the opposite fate in the NHL

No Russia in the international events? Not a problem for Alexander Ovechkin! His fans have a lot of sights to behold in the NHL of his stints. Indeed, he and the Washington Capitals have been on a roll. Apart from all the controversy, he has been showcasing his talent in the league, and it has been for many seasons in the same sweater of the Caps.

This year has been special for the Russian NHL star, as he’s now 17 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record. However, after his career’s 878th goal, he also achieved another record. Indeed, with it, he’s now had 25 or more goals in 19 out of 20 of his NHL seasons. And Ovie is now just one season away from equalizing the feat of Gordie Howe, who had 25 or more goals in 20 campaigns.

But where did Alexander Ovechkin miss out on? In the 2020-21 season that was affected by COVID-19, the Caps’ captain was only able to secure 24 goals. It’s not like this gap will forever haunt the Russian ice hockey star, as gradually he will be able to secure this feat too, after breaking Gretzky’s record, potentially in the current season.