The Capitals made a statement Thursday saying an email that told season ticketholders 2025-26 would be Alex Ovechkin’s final NHL season was erroneous…but, did they really just jump the gun?
According to Alex’s own wife, it’s possible.
Nastya Ovechkina did an interview with Russian outlet aif.ru’s Olga Shablinskya last week, and translation seems to indicate she said Alex will play next season and then head home to the Motherland for good.
“Alexander still has a contract for a year, so we will play the next season, and then fly back to live in Moscow, to our homeland. We will stay in Russia, yes.” Nastya said, according to Hockey News Hub on X via Google translate.
Of course, this broke barely 24 hours after the Caps had to make a statement saying nothing has been determined about Ovi’s future, that statement hours after an email campaign to season-ticket holders touted that 2025-26 would be his swan song.
Nest year is the last on Ovi’s current contract, and there was some speculation that once he broke Wayne Gretzky’s record this season, he might retire early if the Caps win the Cup, or go home to Russia for one final season (or more) in the KHL, with the Dynamo Moscow team he is an advisor for and came up through the junior ranks with, after his contract ended.
He did put some of that to rest at the Caps’ locker cleanout day, saying, “obviously, I’m going to try to do my best to be able to do well next year, and we’ll see.”
Mrs. Ovechkin, however, added in that Russian interview that this past season and the Gr8 Chase were hard on Alex, especially as the Caps also chased down a Cup in an Eastern Conference-leading season.
“He didn’t show it, but I understood how hard it was for him,” Nastya said. “So, I repeat, I waited for Sasha to score faster. And relax. He has his last season next year. And I want him to simply enjoy what he loves, to simply enjoy this last season.”