The Washington Capitals have issued a statement to clarify that an email circulated on Thursday, which suggested that the upcoming 2025-26 season would mark the final NHL campaign for legendary forward Alex Ovechkin, is not accurate. In a post on X, the Capitals indicated that no decision has been reached regarding Ovechkin's future beyond the next season, stating that the email, sent by a member of the corporate sales department, mistakenly referred to the upcoming season as Ovechkin's last.

Jacob Billington of The Hockey Writers reported that this email was directed towards season ticket holders and included a message that read, "OCTOBER – the start of Capitals hockey and Alex Ovechkin's FINAL NHL SEASON." Ovechkin, who is set to celebrate his 40th birthday in September, recently broke the NHL's career goal-scoring record. With a remarkable total of 897 goals, he surpassed the legendary Wayne Gretzky, who retired in 1999 with a then-record of 894 career goals.

Selected first overall by the Capitals in the 2004 NHL Draft, Ovechkin quickly established himself as one of the greatest hockey players in history. He holds franchise records for goals (897), games played (1,491), points (1,623), shots on goal (6,864), and power-play goals (326), and he ranks second in assists with 726. In addition to being the all-time goal-scoring leader in the NHL, Ovechkin also holds the top position in power-play goals and is ranked 11th in total points. Throughout his illustrious 20-year career entirely spent with the Capitals, Ovechkin has become synonymous with the franchise, amassing numerous accolades including 13 NHL All-Star selections, nine Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophies as the league's top goal scorer, one Art Ross Trophy for leading points, three Hart Memorial Trophies as the league's most valuable player, and the Calder Memorial Trophy as Rookie of the Year in 2006. Notably, he led the Capitals to their only Stanley Cup victory in 2018 and earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP during that run based on his performance of 15 goals and 12 assists through 24 playoff games. Though the Capitals have not advanced past the second round of the playoffs during Ovechkin's tenure, he has continued to demonstrate impressive postseason production with 77 goals and 70 assists (147 points) in 161 playoff games. Ovechkin has achieved the milestone of 40 goals in a season 14 times, and he has reached the 50-goal mark on nine occasions, including a career-high of 65 goals during the 2007-08 season. In the 2023-24 campaign, he recorded 31 goals in 79 games, marking his lowest output since the 2020-21 season when he played only 45 games. However, he rebounded to score 44 goals this past season, despite missing 17 games, while notching 29 assists for a total of 73 points over 65 games. His plus-15 rating also marked his best performance in this category since the 2015-16 season. Leading the Capitals to a successful season with 111 points, their highest since 2016-17, Ovechkin's contributions offered hope for a Stanley Cup contention in the upcoming years. With the end of Ovechkin's contract approaching next season, speculation regarding his retirement persists. However, given his strong performance this season, it appears he may have the capacity to extend his playing career beyond the coming season.