Alex Ovechkin Re-Signs With Capitals on 1-Year Deal After Retirement Rumors

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is the leading goal scorer in NHL with 929 goals in 1,573 regular-season games.

Alex Ovechkin Re-Signs With Capitals on 1-Year Deal After Retirement Rumors

Alex Ovechkin 9Image via Imago)

Alex Ovechkin is not done with hockey. On Thursday, the Russian international signed a 1-year deal with the Washington Capitals and returned for his 22nd season in the NHL.

Ovechkin, the No.1 overall pick in the 2004 draft, has called Washington his home for more than 2 decades now. In his tenure with the Capitals, the forward has broken several records and achieved huge success.

Last season, he was in the final year of his 5-year, $47.5 million contract he signed in 2021. Even before the start of the 2025-26 campaign, there had been rumors regarding him retiring from hockey.

In the 2024-25 season, the Capitals captain surpassed Wayne Gretzky for the most goals (regular season) in NHL history. That year, the veteran finished with 44 goals and 29 assists as the team reached the playoffs.

A few days after their elimination, an email from the team stunned the fans. A message to the season ticket holders expressed that the 2025-26 season will be the last one of “The Great Eight.” Later, the team issued a statement, claiming it was a mistake and that no decision had been made yet.

Ovechkin went on to become the first player to cross the 900-goal mark in NHL history in November 2025. As the season came down to its final stretch, rumors once again circulated that this would be the end of the road for him.

Following their final home game of the season, fans inside the Capital One Arena chanted “One more year.” In the post-game conference, the 41-year-old stated he would think about it. After his contract officially expired, he became a free agent on July 1.

Ovechkin’s story in the NHL is not over yet, though. On Thursday, the 3-time NHL MVP penned a 1-year deal and returned to the Capitals.

This development comes a day after rumors of his retirement resurfaced. NHL insider Darren Dreger claimed on OverDrive that Ovechkin’s career in the NHL had concluded.

This obviously is not the case anymore. The forward will play at least one more year before he makes any decision regarding his future.

I’m back babes

Alex Ovechkin said

Ovechkin’s deal could see him earn around $9 million. He will have a salary of $1 million and earn $3.25 million as a signing bonus. If he plays 10 games, he will earn another $4.75 million, taking his sum to $9 million for the 2026-27 season.

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Alex Ovechkin wants another chance of winning the Stanley Cup

Alex Ovechkin wants to lift the Stanley Cup once again. In his 21 seasons with the Washington Capitals, he has only won the championship once. After he re-signed with the team, the Russian international expressed his desire to get another shot at the Stanley Cup.

Alex Ovechkin
Alex Ovechkin (Image via Imago)

In the 2025-26 season, the Capitals failed to qualify for the playoffs. They went 42-30-9 in the regular season and finished 4th in the Metropolitan Division standings. This was not enough to see them through to the postseason.

Ovechkin, meanwhile, had another impressive campaign. He played all 82-regular season games and picked up 64 points (32 goals and 32 assists).

I love playing hockey and competing to win. I’m excited to come back and join my teammates so we can fight for a playoff spot and have a chance to win.

Alex Ovechkin said as per Washington Capitals’ statement

Since their triumph in 2018, the Capitals’ best performance in the playoffs came in 2025-25 season, when they reached the second round. After beating the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 in the first round, they lost 4-1 in the second round against the Carolina Hurricanes.

As for Ovechkin’s personal stats, he has 929 goals and 758 assists (1,687 points) from 1,573 regular-season games. As for the playoffs, he has 77 goals and 70 assists (147 points) in 161 games.

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