Harry Lichtman
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is officially returning for his 22nd NHL season. On Thursday, The Great 8 signed a one-year extension with an AAV of $4.25 million.
Alex Ovechkin Makes His Big Return
Ovechkin will earn $1 million in salary, a $4.75 million games-played bonus, and a $3.25 million signing bonus. The 40-year-old is now the longest-tenured athlete in D.C. sports history.
Ovechkin released a statement announcing his return to the Capitals:
“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, D.C.!”
Capitals senior vice president and general manager Chris Patrick also released a statement about Ovechkin’s return:
“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.
Ovechkin’s All-Time Stats
Ovechkin, who will turn 41 in September, has already had an illustrious hockey career. He led the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup championship in 2018 and is the NHL’s all-time leading scorer.
Ovechkin was selected by the Capitals with the first overall pick in the 2004 NHL Draft. Since then, The Great 8 has recorded 1.687 points (929 goals, 758 assists) in 1,573 games with the franchise.
Ovechkin tops multiple all-time NHL lists, including goals (929), power-play goals (331), and game-winning goals (141). He is the Capitals’ franchise leader in games played, goals, points, playoff games played (161), playoff goals (77), and playoff points (147).
This upcoming season, Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby will become two of the only NHL players to play 22 seasons with one team. That list also includes Gordie Howe, Alex Delvecchio, Stan Mikita, and Steve Yzerman. The 2025-26 campaign will also mark Ovechkin’s 18th season as the Capitals captain.
Last season, Ovechkin led the Capitals with 32 goals and 64 points. He also became the first NHL player to reach 900 career goals, a milestone Wayne Gretzky didn’t even reach.
