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Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) skates in the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on April 14, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio. Associated Press<\/p>\n
Alex Ovechkin<\/a> is not ready to skate away from the NHL, not yet, and now he gets a chance to make his career goal-scoring record<\/a> even more difficult to break.<\/p>\n Ovechkin signed an incentive-laden deal Thursday to return for a 22nd season while also giving the Washington Capitals a chance to build a Stanley Cup contender and its longtime captain the opportunity to add to his jaw-dropping total of 929 goals.<\/p>\n “I\u2019m back!\u201d Ovechkin said.<\/p>\n Ovechkin, who turns 41 on Sept. 17, inked a deal with a $1 million salary and bonuses worth an additional $8 million. He receives a $3.25 million signing bonus and makes the additional $4.75 million if he plays 10 games, but the contract structure allows him to count just $4.25 million against the cap. All of that will help the Caps put a team together that could send Ovi out on a high note should this really be it.<\/p>\n After scoring 32 goals at age 40, Ovechkin is 35 clear of now second-place Wayne Gretzky, whose mark of 894 he passed<\/a> on April 6, 2025, completing the so-called \u201cGR8 Chase\u201d<\/a> that captivated hockey. He had said in recent months he was waiting until the offseason<\/a> to decide whether to return or retire from the only NHL team he’s ever played for, and management was working on contingency plans either way.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you to everyone for giving me and my family the time to make this decision,” Ovechkin said. \u201cI\u2019m healthy. I love playing hockey and competing to win. I\u2019m excited to come back and join my teammates so we can fight for a playoff spot and have a chance to win.\u201d<\/p>\n The Capitals missed the playoffs this spring but qualified 16 times in a stretch of 18 years, which included winning the franchise’s only Stanley Cup in 2018 when Ovechkin was playoff MVP.<\/p>\n A teammate for 16-plus seasons, fellow Cup champion John Carlson said he was not surprised by Ovechkin\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew that he was coming back for a long time,” Carlson said on a video call with reporters after signing with Tampa Bay. \u201cI\u2019m sure that there was conversations to be had and decisions to be made on his end, too, but it just was always my gut feeling that he wasn\u2019t ready to give it up and good for him. He\u2019s been an amazing player for far too long in this league, and it\u2019s just incredible what he\u2019s been able to accomplish. I\u2019m thrilled that he gets to keep living out that dream.\u201d<\/p>\n Ovechkin also holds the NHL records for the most power play goals with 331 and game-winning goals with 141. He scored 30 in a season 20 times, joining Hall of Famers Gordie Howe, Johnny Bucyk and Teemu Selanne as the only players to hit that mark at 40 or older.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is he, 41, 42, and just incredible that this guy\u2019s still finding ways to put up 30-goal seasons,\u201d said Brandon Duhaime, who played the past two with Ovechkin in Washington before joining Toronto in free agency. \u201cAs a fan of the game, just to be able to watch him and over the past two years, to be able to see him break those records was pretty surreal. Growing up watching him and then being a part of that was absolutely incredible. Obviously wish him nothing but the best this season. Just a really incredible story. Really happy for him and his family.\u201d<\/p>\n Ovechkin has been married to his wife, Nastya, since 2017, and the couple has two young children, Sergei and Ilya. They spend their summers in Ovechkin\u2019s hometown of Moscow, and the family is expected to settle in Russia once his playing career is over.<\/p>\n