Huge news from the Caps:
“The Washington Capitals have re-signed captain Alex Ovechkin to a one-year contract extension, Senior Vice President and General Manager Chris Patrick announced today. Ovechkin will earn $1 million in salary, a $4.75 million games-played bonus (10 games) and a $3.25 million signing bonus. Ovechkin’s contract will carry an average annual value of $4.25 million.
“I’m back!” said Ovechkin. “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!”
Ovechkin, who turns 41 in September,
captained the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup championship in 2018 and is the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer. Ovechkin, the first overall pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, has recorded 1,687 points (929g, 758a) in 1,573 career games with Washington. In NHL history, Ovechkin ranks first in goals (929), power-play goals (331), game-winning goals (141), overtime goals (27), road goals (476), game-opening goals (154), game-tying goals (155), go-ahead goals (297) and empty-net goals (72), and second in even-strength goals (593) and multi-goal games (185). Ovechkin is the Capitals’ franchise leader in games played, goals, points, playoff games played (161), playoff goals (77) and playoff points (147).
Ovechkin is the only player in NHL history to win a Stanley Cup, a Conn Smythe, a Calder, an Art Ross, a Hart, a Ted Lindsay and a Maurice Richard Trophy. In his career, Ovechkin has won 19 individual awards, the second-most in NHL history behind only Wayne Gretzky (31): a Conn Smythe Trophy, a Calder Trophy, an Art Ross Trophy, three Hart Memorial Trophies, three Ted Lindsay Awards, an NHL-record nine Maurice Richard Trophies and a Mark Messier Leadership Award.
This upcoming season, Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby will join Gordie Howe, Alex Delvecchio, Stan Mikita and Steve Yzerman as the only players in NHL history to play 22 seasons with one franchise. Ovechkin will also surpass Walter Johnson (21 seasons with the Washington Senators: 1907-1927) as the longest-tenured athlete in the history of Washington, D.C. professional sports. The 2026-27 campaign will mark Ovechkin’s 18th season as captain, making him the third-longest tenured captain in NHL history (Crosby: 20 seasons; Yzerman: 19 seasons).
“We are excited to have Alex return and continue his illustrious career,” said MSE Founder and Chairman Ted Leonsis. “Ever since we drafted him, there have been two constants: his love for the game and his relentless drive to win. Alex has always shown a deep commitment to his teammates, this organization, and the fans who have supported him throughout his career. I am incredibly proud of everything he has accomplished in a Capitals sweater, and I have no doubt he will continue to add to that legacy next season. He has defined excellence for this franchise and set a standard, and we are thrilled to have him continue writing this next chapter of his remarkable career.
“As we look ahead to next season, we are incredibly excited about the work our hockey operations group accomplished this summer to position our team to compete for a playoff berth and contend for the Stanley Cup. Our fans expect nothing less, and our organization has made the investments and difficult decisions necessary to build a new and exciting team. Having the greatest goal scorer in NHL history and the most important player in Capitals history return for another season means so much to our organization, our fans, and our city.”
Last season, Ovechkin led the Capitals in goals (32) and points (64). It marked the 21st time in 21 seasons that Ovechkin led or co-led the team in goals. Ovechkin’s 32 goals were the third most by a player age 40 or older in NHL history (Gordie Howe: 44g in 1968-69; Johnny Bucyk: 36g in 1975-76) and he became just the third player in NHL history to record two hat tricks in the same season at age 40. Over the course of the 2025-26 season, in which he played all 82 games, Ovechkin became the first player in NHL history to score 900 regular-season goals, scored his 1,000th career goal (regular season and playoffs combined), passed Joe Sakic for the 10th-most points in NHL history and recorded his NHL-record 20th 30-goal season and his 21st 20-goal season. Last season, the Capitals were 18-4-2 (.792 point percentage) when Ovechkin scored and 32-10-3 (.744 point percentage) when he recorded a point.
“Our entire organization is thrilled that Alex has decided to continue playing,” said Patrick. “Alex has proven year after year that he can produce offensively and that he is still the driving force of our team. We are excited about the additions we made this offseason to bolster our lineup and make our group more competitive. 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.”
Over two decades with the organization, Ovechkin has made a lasting impact on the community through his philanthropic leadership and advocacy. Next season, he will continue those efforts, including THE GR8 CHASE for Victory Over Cancer, a campaign launched in partnership with the Capitals, Hockey Fights Cancer and The V Foundation for Cancer Research to raise awareness and funding for pediatric cancer research during his pursuit of the NHL’s all-time goals record. Beginning with his 885th career goal, Ovechkin pledged to donate for every goal he scores through the remainder of his NHL career, with Monumental Sports & Entertainment matching each contribution. To date, the campaign has raised more than $250,000 in support of the Alex Ovechkin GR8 CHASE Pediatric Cancer Research Grant.
Ovechkin also recently completed his eighth season hosting an annual event with the American Special Hockey Association (ASHA), where he has served as an ambassador since 2014. His longstanding support has helped fuel ASHA’s remarkable growth, with the organization expanding during his 12 years of involvement from 35 programs in 30 cities to 144 programs nationwide and with affiliates in Canada. Today, ASHA serves more than 9,200 athletes and 12,250 total members, including coaches and volunteers.
Ovechkin has also played a significant role in growing hockey throughout the Washington, D.C., region. According to USA Hockey, participation has surged since he was drafted – an impact widely known as the “Ovechkin Effect.” From 2005-06 through 2024-25, USA Hockey registration increased by more than 186% in the Washington, D.C., area and 70% regionally. Through Ovi’s 8s, established in 2006, Ovechkin has donated more than 6,000 tickets to underserved children and now provides eight season tickets annually to ASHA participants from four local special hockey teams.
Beyond hockey, Ovechkin has spent his career supporting children facing serious illnesses by granting wishes and visiting families, while also championing numerous Capitals and Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation charitable initiatives, including Hockey Fights Cancer, the Canine Calendar and the annual Topgolf charity event.”