Alex Ovechkin (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has not yet decided whether he will retire from the NHL after the 2025-26 season, a source close to the player informed RG.
On Friday, Russian outlet AIF quoted Ovechkin's wife, Nastasiya, suggesting that Alex would return to Russia from the U.S. in 2026. Ovechkin's contract with Washington runs through the 2025-26 season.
"Alex has not made a decision to retire from the NHL in 2026," the source clarified.
"His position remains the same—he has a contractual obligation to play the 2025-26 NHL season, after which he will decide whether to remain with Washington or not."
The final decision will depend heavily on his health and performance.
"Alex has always been honest with himself and the hockey community," the source added. "If he feels he can no longer play at the highest level, he won't continue playing just for the sake of staying."
Ovechkin himself has made no public statements and will be unavailable to the media until mid-July. He will be on vacation in Turkey from June 7 to July 7. Media activities are planned afterward, including the traditional "Ovi Cup," a children's hockey tournament hosted annually by Ovechkin in the Moscow region in August.
Nastasiya Ovechkina's original statement may have been misunderstood by journalists. Her actual remark during a social event in Moscow was: "Sasha will fulfill his contract, which has one season left, and then return to live in Russia." There was no explicit mention of a return specifically in 2026.
Currently, the Capitals are performing well, and Ovechkin scored 44 goals this season, surpassing Wayne Gretzky's NHL goal-scoring record.
"If next year he continues to play at the same level, and the Capitals offer him a worthy contract, there wouldn't be many reasons for Alexander to refuse," the source explained.
"However, any decision will ultimately be made by Ovechkin himself, but only next year."
This NHL season, the 39-year-old forward registered 73 points (44 goals, 29 assists) in 65 games and finished with a plus-minus rating of +15. His Capitals finished first in the Eastern Conference and reached the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Additionally, Ovechkin will not be playing soccer with FC Dynamo this summer, as he did last year.
"Given the recent leg fracture and the constant risk of unforeseen injuries, Alex will not be playing soccer this summer," the source stated.
Sergey Demidov
Sergey has been in sports journalism since 2007 as a reporter, editor, and manager. He has covered the Olympic Games, soccer World Cups, the World Cup of Hockey in 2016, the European championships, the Stanley Cup Finals, IOC events, and many others. Sergey interviewed the sport's greatest athletes, coaches, and executives. Since 2016, he has been an Independent Senior Editor of NHL.com/ru.
