Ovechkin Resigns with the Capitals

The Washington Capitals will have their captain back for another run after re-signing Alex Ovechkin to a one-year contract for the 2026-27 NHL season.

Jason Mowry / Getty Images

The deal carries a $4.25 million average annual value and includes a $1 million base salary, a $3.25 million signing bonus and up to $4.75 million in games-played bonuses. The contract keeps the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer in Washington for a remarkable 22nd season.

Ovechkin, who turns 41 in September, enters the new season with 929 career goals and 1,687 points in 1,573 regular-season games. The longtime Capitals captain surpassed Wayne Gretzky as the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer in 2025 and continues to add to one of the greatest careers in league history.

The extension also adds another historic milestone to Ovechkin's legacy. His 22nd season with Washington will make him the longest-tenured athlete in Washington, D.C., professional sports history, surpassing baseball legend Walter Johnson's 21 seasons with the Washington Senators.

While retirement speculation surrounded the future Hall of Famer throughout the offseason, Ovechkin made it clear he still has the desire to compete for another Stanley Cup before eventually calling it a career.