Following weeks of speculation regarding his future in the National Hockey League, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, the best goal scorer in NHL history, has decided that he’s got one more year left in him.
On Thursday afternoon, it was announced that Ovechkin had agreed to a one-year, $4.25 million extension with the Capitals in what will likely be his final year in the League.
This means that in the fall, Ovechkin will be gearing up for his 22nd career season in the NHL.
And through the Capitals, Ovechkin released the following statement informing fans of his intent for one last go-around:
“I’m back! Thank you to everyone for giving me and my family the time to make this decision. I’m healthy. 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. See you in September, DC!”
Alex Ovechkin Is Coming Back For One More Year With The Washington Capitals
Following the 2025-26 NHL season, Ovechkin said that he would need to take time with his family to discuss his future and whether he’d return for a 22nd year in the NHL or not.
Ovechkin also made it clear that he would want the Capitals to be in a position to realistically compete for the Stanley Cup rather than just playing out another year on a team with no chance to play meaningful hockey down the stretch.
Last season, scored 32 goals to increase his goal total to 929, the most in NHL history, while playing in all 82 games. Last April, he scored the 895th goal of his Hall of Fame career, officially passing Wayne Gretzky’s record that had stood since 1999.
Earlier in the week, Capitals GM Chris Patrick said that Ovechkin had not informed him of his plans for the upcoming year, but that they would make the cap space necessary to fit him.
“He hasn’t made a decision yet. I think part of it was seeing where we are after today and that we’re trying to do as much as we can to improve the team,” Patrick told ESPN on Wednesday night.
“I think we can do something that would work for Alex based on conversations we had with him prior to him leaving,” Patrick said. “There are ways to get him the money that he needs because of his age and the kind of contracts you can do.”
Alex Ovechkin Has Played His Entire NHL Career With The Capitals
There may never be another player in NHL history like Ovechkin, who was taken by the Capitals with the first overall pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, one pick ahead of his countryman and future divisional rival Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Ovechkin is not only the greatest goal scorer in NHL history, but he also led the Capitals to their first and only Stanley Cup victory in 2018, and also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in that postseason run.
Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin Makes Major Announcement