1-on-1 with Caps Alex Ovechkin: Expectations in Year 19, New Coach, and Chasing Gretzky

WASHINGTON, DC (7News) — Washington Capitals legend Alex Ovechkin took the ice for the first time on Thursday to kick off his 19th season with the red, white, and blue.

Ovechkin -- referred to as The Great 8 -- sat down one-on-one with 7News Sports Anchor Natalie Spala during the team's Media Day to set the stage for the 2023-2024 season.

He said restoring a winning culture to the Capitals' franchise is a top priority after the team failed to reach the postseason last year for the first time since 2014.

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"Everybody is healthy, everybody feels good, that's the most important thing," Ovechkin said. "It's a new year, a fresh year, so you just have to forget what happened in the past and move forward."

The Capitals are under the leadership of first-year head coach Spencer Carbery. As the youngest head coach in the NHL at 41, Carbery will look to lean on veterans like Ovechkin and teammates Nicklas Bäckström and Tom Wilson.

"He knows most of us, and I'm pretty sure that's going to help him build relationships with his team," Ovechkin said. "He asks me a couple of things about the system training-wise but he's a head coach. He has to tell me what to do and I'm going to do what he tells me."

Ovechkin has been consistently asked about what it would be like to become the NHL's all-time goals leader. Now just 73 goals away from passing Wayne Gretzky to secure the top spot, Ovechkin continues to take a day-by-day approach.

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"You can't think about it. How can you think about it? You just go out there and do your thing," Ovechkin said. "You never know what is going to happen tomorrow, so how can you know what is going to happen in a couple of years?"

Ovechkin is signed with the Capitals for the next three seasons. He would need to average 25 goals per season during that span to pass Gretzky as the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer. Ovechkin has scored 25 or more goals in 17 of his 18 NHL seasons. Last season, he passed Gordie Howe to move into the second spot.

Still, Ovi's sights are set on winning and bringing the Stanley Cup back to D.C.

"I'm just going to do my best to help the team to win and for us, winning is the most important thing."