The Washington Capitals recently clarified that an email circulated on Thursday, which suggested that the 2025-26 season would mark the final NHL campaign for legendary forward Alex Ovechkin, was not accurate. In a statement on X, the Capitals emphasized that 'no decision' has been made regarding Ovechkin's future beyond the upcoming season, noting that the email from the corporate sales department 'mistakenly' referred to the forthcoming season as Ovechkin's last.

According to Jacob Billington from The Hockey Writers, the email sent to season ticket holders included the phrase, 'OCTOBER – the start of Capitals hockey and Alex Ovechkin's FINAL NHL SEASON.' Ovechkin, who will celebrate his 40th birthday in September, notably surpassed Wayne Gretzky's long-standing career goal-scoring record during the last season, ending with 897 goals compared to Gretzky's 894 goals before his retirement in 1999. Since being selected first overall by the Capitals in the 2004 NHL Draft, Ovechkin has established himself as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.

Ovechkin holds numerous franchise records for the Capitals, including goals (897), games played (1,491), points (1,623), shots on goal (6,864), and power-play goals (326), while ranking second in assists with 726. He leads the league in power-play goals and ranks eleventh in all-time points. Throughout his 20-year tenure with the Capitals, Ovechkin has amassed significant accolades, including 13 NHL All-Star selections, nine Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophies as the leading goal scorer, an Art Ross Trophy as the leading point scorer, and three Hart Memorial Trophies as NHL MVP. His leadership guided the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup victory in 2018, where he also earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP for his outstanding performance.

Though the Capitals have struggled to progress past the second round of the playoffs throughout much of Ovechkin's career, he has remained a formidable postseason player, recording 77 goals and 70 assists for a total of 147 points in 161 playoff games. Ovechkin has reached the 40-goal plateau in a season fourteen times and surpassed 50 goals on nine occasions, with his career-high reaching 65 goals during the 2007-08 season. In the 2023-24 season, he recorded 31 goals in 79 games, marking his fewest goals in a full season, other than a shortened campaign due to injury in 2020-21. However, he rebounded impressively in the current season, scoring 44 goals despite missing 17 games, while also contributing 29 assists for a total of 73 points, achieving a plus-15 rating, his best since the 2015-16 season.

The Capitals finished the 2023-24 season with their best performance since 2016-17, leading the Eastern Conference with 111 points. Despite an early exit in the playoffs, losing 4-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round, their season has fostered optimism for future Stanley Cup contention. The upcoming season will conclude Ovechkin's current contract, and while he could choose to retire afterward, his recent performance indicates that he may still have several productive seasons ahead.