Russian hockey player Alexander Ovechkin has extended his contract with the NHL team Washington Capitals for a year. According to the details disclosed by the club, the athlete is guaranteed to receive $1 million for the next season, as well as $3.25 million as a bonus for signing a new contract.
The 40-year-old Russian's previous five-year contract expired at the end of last NHL season in May, after which the Capitals failed to make the playoffs. A year earlier, Ovechkin broke Canadian Wayne Gretzky's historical record for goals scored during the NHL regular season – the Russian now has 929.
The 2018 NHL champion noted that his family was in favor of him continuing his career, but he planned to discuss various options with his loved ones. He has been with the Capitals since moving to the United States in 2004, when the team selected him first overall in the rookie draft.
As the NHL website notes, the new agreement will allow the Russian to go down in the history of sports clubs in the US capital as the most devoted player, and also become the sixth player in the history of the hockey league whose career lasted at least 22 seasons. Canadian Sidney Crosby, who plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins, will also celebrate this achievement at the same time as Ovechkin next season.
The Capitals announced the signing of Ovechkin on social media with an 11-second video accompanied by a caption consisting of two emojis – a goat and a thumbs up. “Goats” in modern English are called sports legends, referring to the acronym for the phrase The Greatest of All Time – “the greatest of all time.”
“I’m back, kids,” Ovechkin declares on camera, signing the agreement.
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) July 2, 2026
In a separate statement, the Russian hockey player emphasized that he hopes to make it to the playoffs with the team this year. By the way, if this task is successfully completed, Ovechkin will have the opportunity to break Gretzky’s absolute record for goals scored in a career (1016). Now he is 10 goals away from this achievement.
“I’m healthy, I love playing hockey and fighting for victories,” Ovechkin emphasized in a statement.
At the same time, the captain’s contract included a condition on the number of games during which he would receive additional payments. The Capitals agreed to pay Ovechkin another $4.75 million if he plays at least 10 times. Ovechkin suffered the most severe injury of his career in the 2024-25 season, when he broke his left fibula in his leg and missed 16 of 82 games.
