Ovechkin Announced The End Of His NHL Career

• 5.10.2026, 18:39

A Putin-supporting hockey player will leave the "Washington" at the end of the season.

Russian Putin-supporting hockey player Alexander Ovechkin told his teammates that he would be leaving Washington at the end of the season.

This was reported by the Washington Capitals’ press office.

“This summer, my family and I decided that this season would be my last in the NHL. I love this game very much, but deep down I know this is the right decision. It was important for me to make this announcement before our first home game so that I could thank everyone who has been so important to me and my family—those who supported me during the good times and the tough moments of defeat,” Ovechkin said.

On July 2, Washington announced that it had signed a new contract with Ovechkin. The deal is for one season. The Capitals last won the Stanley Cup in 2018. The player has been with the American club since 2005 (with a break in 2012–2013, when he played for Dynamo due to the lockout).

In the 2025–26 NHL regular season, the 40-year-old Ovechkin played in all 82 games, recording 64 points—exactly 32 goals and 32 assists. Ovechkin is the all-time leading goal-scorer in the National Hockey League’s regular season with 929 goals. He ranks second on the league’s all-time goal-scoring list, including the playoffs.