The Washington Capitals quickly clarified a situation regarding the future of their prominent superstar, Alex Ovechkin, following the accidental distribution of an email.
After an email was sent to season ticket holders on Thursday suggesting the 2025-26 season would mark Alex Ovechkin`s final year, the team issued a statement to confirm that no definitive decision has been reached concerning the superstar`s future beyond his current contract.
Via social media, the team explained that the email was erroneously sent by an employee within the corporate sales department.
The initial email distributed to fans reportedly stated: “OCTOBER — the start of Capitals hockey and Alex Ovechkin`s FINAL NHL SEASON.”
Ovechkin is slated to turn 40 before the commencement of the next season and is set to enter the concluding year of his five-year, $47 million contract. This means he will become an unrestricted free agent once the 2025-26 season concludes.
Following the Capitals` elimination by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Ovechkin indicated to reporters his intention to play in the upcoming season – his 21st in the NHL. However, he added that he had not yet considered his plans beyond that.
“I haven’t thought about it yet, but we’ll see what’s going to happen,” Ovechkin commented earlier this month. “I’m going to try to do my best to be able to do well next year, and we’ll see.”
The former first overall draft pick had a remarkable season in 2024-25, scoring 44 goals and notably surpassing Wayne Gretzky`s all-time career goal record of 895. He also contributed significantly to the Capitals achieving a strong regular-season record of 51-22-9, the best in the Eastern Conference.
