Washington Capitals say no decision yet on Alex Ovechkin's future after email from sales staffer goes viral
Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin scores a goal in the second period against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena. The goal was the 895th of Ovechkin's career, breaking the NHL all-time career goals record. - Geoff Burke/Imagn Images/Reuters
The Washington Capitals knocked down reports that next year will be NHL all-time leading goal scorer Alexander Ovechkin's last in the league, saying no decision has been made on the Russian's future.
Multiple outlets quickly jumped on an email sent by a member of the team's corporate sales staff that said the 2025-2026 season would be Ovechkin's last in the league. As the claim went viral on social media, the team said the email was sent in error.
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'No decision has been made on Alex Ovechkin's future following the 2025-26 NHL season,' the team's public relations account said on X. 'An email was sent from an individual with the corporate sales department that mistakenly alluded to next year being Alex Ovechkin's final year.'
Ovechkin will be 40 years old when the next NHL season begins in the fall and he'll be entering his 21st season in the league, all with the Capitals. He's also entering the final year of a five-year contract he signed in 2021.
That contract ending, coupled with him breaking the record for most goals scored in NHL history in the spring, has led to much speculation about the Russian star's future.
Ovechkin said after the Capitals' loss in the playoffs that he was not planning to retire after this season. When asked on May 17 about whether he would plan for the 2025-2026 season to be his last in Washington, Ovechkin was noncommittal.
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'To be honest with you, I haven't thought about it yet. But we'll see what's going to happen. Obviously, I'm going to do my best to be able to do well next year and … we'll see,' he said.
Ovechkin made history this season by passing Wayne Gretzky's seemingly unbreakable record for goals during his career. He ended the season with 897 career goals, scoring 44 on the year. It's an even more remarkable number when factoring in his lengthy time off the ice due to a leg injury.
He has never scored fewer than 31 goals in a full season – he scored 24 in the Covid-19-shortened 2020-21 season – and has scored more than 40 goals in 14 seasons. Ovechkin won the Stanley Cup with the Capitals in the 2017-2018 season.
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