In an email sent to season ticket holders, the Washington Capitals appeared to reveal that all-time NHL goals leader Alex Ovechkin will play his final NHL campaign in 2025-26.
"OCTOBER -- the start of Capitals hockey and Alex Ovechkin's FINAL NHL SEASON," read the email sent on Thursday, according to The Hockey Writers.
Not so fast, said the team. The Capitals released a statement Thursday afternoon saying that "no decision has been made" on Ovechkin's future beyond next season, blaming one of its employees for the misunderstanding.
"An email was sent from an individual with the corporate sales department that mistakenly alluded to next year being Alex Ovechkin's final year," the team posted on X.
Ovechkin, who turns 40 in September, said after the Capitals were eliminated from the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs earlier this month that he would be back for his 21st NHL season.
The Russian winger has one season remaining on a five-year, $47.5 million contract.
"I'm going to use those couple months (in the offseason) to rest, enjoy my life, then back to work," Ovechkin said on May 17.
In 65 regular-season games this past season, Ovechkin scored 44 goals, with the most significant of those coming on April 6 against the New York Islanders. The 895th goal of his career passed the great Wayne Gretzky for most in NHL history.
"I'm looking forward for next year," Ovechkin said. "I'm going to try to do my best to play, and my team is going to help me too. ... I just want to come back next year and see the team who's capable of winning the Stanley Cup."
A 13-time All-Star and three-time Hart Trophy winner, Ovechkin enters the 2025-26 season ranked 11th all-time in points (1,623). He needs 19 points to pass Joe Sakic, who is 10th on the points list.
Capitals accidentally start Alex Ovechkin retirement rumor
The Washington Capitals are in damage control mode after accidentally claiming that next season will be Alex Ovechkin’s last.
The Capitals confirmed Thursday that the team’s sales department sent an email to season-ticket holders that erroneously claimed that next season will be Ovechkin’s final year in the NHL. That forced the team to issue a public statement saying that Ovechkin has not made any decisions on his future beyond next year.
“No decision has been made on Alex Ovechkin’s future following the 2025-26 NHL season,” the team said in a statement. “An email was sent from an individual with the corporate sales department that mistakenly alluded to next year being Alex Ovechkin’s final year.”
2025-26 could certainly be Ovechkin’s final season, and it makes sense that the Capitals would want to hype it up to sell tickets if that was the case. However, it is not great if the team is advertising that while he himself has not made that determination.
Ovechkin turns 40 in September. He has won a Stanley Cup and broke the NHL’s all-time goal-scoring record this past season. His list of accomplishments is pretty much complete and his legacy is secure, so it would not be a shock if next year is his last. The Capitals just won’t want to be forcing him into that decision, accidentally or otherwise.
