Alex Ovechkin (via Getty Images) The news of Alex Ovechkin’s probable departure for Russia following the 2024–25 NHL season wasn’t made in a presser or team announcement — it was revealed through an offhand interview with his wife, Anastasia Shubskaya, in which she mentioned the family would return to Moscow when his contract with the Washington Capitals ended. Fans on Reddit, as well as critics, turned to their keyboards once this news was revealed.
Fans react after Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin wife Anastasia Shubskaya confirms the Russia move
The hockey world was quick to respond to Anastasia Shubskaya’s comment: “Alexander still has a contract for a year. So we will play the next season and then fly back to live in Moscow, our homeland. We will stay in Russia, yes.”But Reddit’s hockey community, specifically on r/hockey, was already far ahead of the news— and had no lack of opinions. “It’s weird this is so discussed. He’s been very vocal about wanting to bookend his career by finishing in Russia, like so many Russian greats do. He’s also going to be 40, and he’ll have nothing left to accomplish in the NHL,” one user posed. Someone replied, “Yeah, I saw him say this verbatim in an interview a few years ago: play until he’s 40 in DC, then go back to Russia for one last season with Dynamo Moscow, then retire.”Other users joked about the media hysteria: “So… exactly what Ovi said earlier in the season. Why is this a story?”Others theorized that the Washington Capitals are deliberately waiting until later to make an official statement so they can give Alex Ovechkin the sendoff he deserves.“Yes, everyone knows this. The Caps and Ovi just don’t want some lame STH email to be the announcement,” one user wrote. “I’m sure the Caps and Ovi are planning an announcement to come either late this summer or early in the season.”But not all of the comments were hockey-related. Reddit forums also took a sharp detour into geopolitics, as Alex Ovechkin’s public display of affection for Russian President Vladimir Putin once again came up for discussion.“Is it really that clear? Yeah, sure, he has Putin in his Instagram profile picture, but that could mean anything (/s),” one commenter noted, which brought forth a tempest of responses. “The sooner he goes back, the better. Celebrating Putin’s puppet makes no sense,” another wrote. “Yup. But people who brush off Ovi supporting Putin as a simple matter of ideological alignment are just plain ignorant of geopolitics and the monster that Putin really is. It’s much more than ‘It doesn’t matter who he voted for; he’s a great hockey player’,” another replied. Even with the split opinions, what is certain is that Ovechkin’s departure, whenever and however it is officially announced, will not be easy or politics-free. His record — as the NHL’s second-best goal scorer in history and a former Stanley Cup champion — is solidly established, but his persona off the ice is still divisive.
Alex Ovechkin’s goodbye will be memorable — and anything but controversy-free
Regardless of whether fans share his personal opinions or not, Alex Ovechkin’s NHL career is in its penultimate lap. With one year left on his deal, and a return to Dynamo Moscow apparently in motion, the discussion has already turned from ‘if’ to ‘how.’Also read: Capitals spark retirement panic after wrongly declaring Alex Ovechkin’s last seasonOn Reddit, the reaction is a microcosm of his broader legacy: awe for his on-ice dominance, concern over his political affiliations, and sharp opinions from every angle. But love him or loathe him, Ovechkin’s final season in Washington will be must-watch — and his final departure will stir as much emotion as the goals he’s scored across two decades.