Capitals Say Ovechkin Retirement Email Was Sent in Error

On Thursday, the Capitals emailed season ticket holders that included a hint to the future of Alex Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leading scorer.  

“OCTOBER – the start of Capitals hockey and Alex Ovechkin’s FINAL NHL SEASON,” the email read. 

Hours later, the team said the email was a mistake.

“No decision has been made on Alex Ovechkin’s future following the 2025-26 NHL season,” the team said in a statement Thursday afternoon. “An email was sent from an individual with the corporate sales department that mistakenly alluded to next year being Alex Ovechkin’s final year.”

Ovechkin has said he will play next year, when he will be 40 and in the final year of his contract, but hasn’t elaborated past that. 

Speculation on his playing days has festered since the Hurricanes ended the Capitals season in the conference semifinals. After the Capitals’ season ended, Ovechkin was asked if next season would be his last. 

“To be honest with you, I haven’t thought about it yet,” he told reporters on May 17. “But we’ll see what’s going to happen. Obviously, I’m going to do my best to be able to do well next year and … we’ll see,” he said.

Ovechkin has played for the franchise for 20 years, winning the 2018 Stanley Cup. Along the way, he broke numerous franchise and NHL records including Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 regular season goals. He will turn 40 in September ahead of the final season of a five-year, $47.5 million deal.