The Washington Capitals are in damage-control mode after an email suggested the 2025-26 season would be Alex Ovechkin’s final year in the NHL. The Capitals quickly denied that report, saying Ovechkin has not made a decision on his future.
Reports emerged Thursday claiming the Capitals sent out an email that referred to the 2025-26 season as “Alex Ovechkin’s FINAL NHL SEASON.” That entire statement was highlighted in red, with the final three words appearing in all-caps in the email.
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The Hockey News reached out to the team, which said those reports were not accurate. The team then issued a statement of its own, confirming an email was sent out, but saying Ovechkin’s plans are undecided at this point in the offseason.
The team said the email came from “an individual with the corporate sales department,” but did not provide any additional details on why it was sent or how many people received it.
An Ovechkin retirement announcement wouldn’t come as a major surprise for a number of reasons. While he’s still playing at a high level, Ovechkin is 39. He’s already played 20 seasons in the NHL — all of which with the Capitals — and is nearing the end of his playing days.
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There’s also a strong argument that retiring after the 2025-26 season is the right move. It will mark the final year of the five-year, $47.5 million extension Ovechkin signed with the Capitals in 2021. The completion of that contract could mark a natural stopping point for Ovechkin.
While there are reasons to believe next year will be Ovechkin’s final year in the NHL, he is apparently not ready to make that call just yet. Either that, or a Capitals employee ruined Ovechkin’s announcement by sending out an email too soon.
Whenever Ovechkin calls it a career, he’ll leave the game as one of the greatest players of all-time. Ovechkin is a 12-time All-Star, nine-time Maurice Richard Trophy winner, three-time Ted Lindsay Trophy winner, three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner and the 2017-18 Conn Smythe Trophy winner. He also led the Capitals to a Stanley Cup championship during the 2017-18 NHL season and surpassed Wayne Gretzky to set the NHL’s all-time goal-scoring record last season.
The Hockey Hall of Fame is undoubtedly in Ovechkin’s future once he hangs up his skates. While he and the Capitals weren’t ready to make an announcement on that front Thursday, it probably won’t be long before Ovechkin is ready to call it a career.
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