Editor’s Note:
The Washington Capitals PR department has clarified that this email was mistakenly sent by a member of their corporate sales department, and that no final decisions have been made on Ovechkin’s future after the 2025-26 season.
The Washington Capitals sent an email to their season ticket holders on May 29 and revealed that the 2025-26 season will be Alexander Ovechkin’s final season in the NHL.
With Ovechkin turning 40 years old before the start of next season, and it being his final year under contract, many speculated that it would be the end of his extremely impressive career, but now, it seems as if the Capitals have confirmed the speculation.
The email to season ticket holders reads: “OCTOBER – the start of Capitals hockey and Alex Ovechkin’s FINAL NHL SEASON”
Ovechkin accomplished one of the greatest feats anybody can do by breaking one of Wayne Gretzky’s unbreakable records. On April 6, 2025, Ovechkin scored his 895th career goal, surpassing Gretzky for the most in NHL history. With 895 goals (1st all-time), 1623 points (11th), 6864 shots (1st), 3744 hits (3rd), one Stanley Cup, a Conn Smythe Trophy, three Hart Trophies and Ted Lindsay Awards, and nine Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophies, Ovechkin has pretty well done it all. He is without a doubt the greatest goal-scorer in NHL history.
Ovechkin was selected first overall in 2004, and made his debut in the fall of 2005 after a league-wide lockout. He took the league by storm right away, scoring 52 goals and 106 points as a rookie, and took home the Calder Trophy, beating out Sidney Crosby, Dion Phaneuf, and Henrik Lundqvist.
Ovechkin is well in the conversation as one of the greatest players in NHL history, and with one season left to go, a legendary era of hockey is coming to an end.
