Washington (United States) (AFP) – Alex Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, will return for a 22nd season with the Washington Capitals, the club announced on Thursday. The Capitals said in a statement that the Russian great has signed a one-year contract with an average annual value of $4.25 million.
“I’m back!” Ovechkin said in comments posted on the Caps website. “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!”
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Ovechkin, who turns 41 in September, was the first overall draft pick by the Capitals in 2004, arriving in the NHL in 2005 after launching his pro career with Dynamo Moscow at the age of 16. He led the Capitals to the Stanley Cup in 2018, but last season Washington fell short of a playoff berth. Ovechkin had said when the season ended that he would decide his future after consulting with his family, indicating that he hoped to keep playing but wanted to contend for another title.
Ovechkin led the Capitals with 32 goals last season to take his record career total to 929. He surpassed Wayne Gretzky as the league’s all-time leading goal scorer when he tallied his 895th in April of 2025. He also ranks first in NHL history in power-play goals (331), game-winning goals (141), and overtime goals (27).
“Our entire organization is thrilled that Alex has decided to continue playing,” Capitals General Manager Chris Patrick said in a statement. “Alex has proven year after year that he can produce offensively and that he is still the driving force of our team.”
Since Ovechkin said in April that contending for a Cup was a key consideration in whether he’d return, the Capitals have acquired Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch, who each have three 30-goal seasons in the league. “We are excited about the additions we made this offseason to bolster our lineup and make our group more competitive,” Patrick said. “We believe that our roster is well balanced and will help create more opportunities for Alex to create offense and score goals.”
In addition, his presence in our locker room — especially with our young players — will continue to be an enormous boost for our organization and will help shape our team culture for years to come.”
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