WASHINGTON, D.C. — Alex Ovechkin is coming back for one more run. The Washington Capitals announced Thursday that they have re-signed their captain to a one-year contract extension, ensuring the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer returns for a 22nd season in the nation’s capital.
The deal is worth a $4.25 million average annual value, including a $1 million base salary, a $3.25 million signing bonus and up to $4.75 million in games-played bonuses. Ovechkin will enter the 2026-27 season as the third-longest tenured captain in NHL history, and will surpass Walter Johnson as the longest-tenured athlete in Washington, D.C. professional sports history once the season begins.
Ovechkin has spent his entire 21-year career with the Capitals since being selected first overall in the 2004 NHL Draft, winning the Stanley Cup in 2018 and breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record during the 2024-25 season. “I love playing hockey and competing to win,” Ovechkin said in a statement announcing the deal. “I’m excited to come back and join my teammates so we can fight for a playoff spot and have a chance to win.”
The Capitals begin training camp in September as they look to build on last season and make another playoff push with Ovechkin leading the way for a 22nd year.