Alex Ovechkin became eligible for a contract extension with the Washington Capitals earlier this month. The legendary winger’s future has been a popular topic this summer as he heads into his age-40 season, the final year of his contract with the Capitals.
Ovechkin has already commented on rumors about what could be the upcoming end of his NHL career several times, with his latest words coming to RIA Novosti’s Andrey Senchenko on Saturday. The Great 8 sounds like he is in no rush to decide until this time next year.
“We are not in negotiations yet,” Ovechkin told Senchenko, as translated via Google Translate. “Would I like to stay at the club? A year will pass, and we will think about it. We will live and see.”
Rumblings about when Ovechkin would potentially call it quits with the Capitals began in late May when a sales department email from the team was sent out to a select group of season-ticket holders, claiming that the 2025-26 season would be Ovi’s last in the NHL. The Capitals’ PR department responded to the uproar caused by the message, stating that the email was a mistake and that no decision had yet been made on Ovechkin’s future beyond next year.
Shortly after, Ovechkin’s wife, Nastya, seemingly remarked in an interview that the family would return to Moscow after Ovechkin’s five-year contract ends next July. However, Ovechkin has since clarified those comments, stating that his wife never confirmed anything.
The 2025-26 campaign will be Ovechkin’s 21st in the NHL, and he will enter the year just three goals shy of becoming the first player ever to score 900 career goals. He is also just nine games away from becoming just the 23rd player to ever play in 1,500 career games.
Other milestones, such as the most NHL goals when factoring in the playoffs, the most 50-goal seasons in NHL history, the most multi-goal games in NHL history, and the most career hits in NHL history, also remain.
However, the call to return home may become unavoidable, as Ovechkin has previously suggested being open to finishing his playing days with his hometown team, Dynamo Moscow of the KHL. Dynamo’s President, Viktor Voroin, stated in February that Dynamo is ready to negotiate with Ovechkin after his contract with the Capitals expires next year.
