Despite recent comments and speculation regarding his possible retirement, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has not decided on his NHL future following next season. A source close to Ovechkin confirmed to RG Media [https://rg.org/news/hockey/source-ovechkin-has-not-yet-decided-to-retire-from-nhl-in-2026] that Ovechkin has not made any decision regarding if next year will be his last in the NHL, and that he will make that choice when his contract ends. "Alex has not made a decision to retire from the NHL in 2026," the source told RG, adding, "Alex has always been honest with himself and the hockey community. If he feels he can no longer play at the highest level, he won't continue playing just for the sake of staying." The clarification comes following a Capitals corporate sales email sent in error that said 2025-26 will be Ovechkin's final NHL campaign, along with an interview that his wife, Nastya, had with Russian publication Arguments & Facts [https://aif.ru/sport/person/-kogda-kogda-zhena-ovechkina-anastasiya-shubskaya-raskryla-plan-hokkeista] where she said that he would return to Russia after playing this upcoming season. Nastya's comments were taken out of context, as all she said was that he will fulfill his contract and then return to Russia, as is his routine every season. Ovechkin is coming off a historic 20th year in the NHL where he put up 44 goals — the third-most in the league — to overtake Wayne Gretzky as the league's all-time leading goal scorer, despite missing 16 games with a broken leg. Despite questions regarding his future and if he would fulfill the final year of the five-year extension that he signed in 2021, the 39-year-old, who will turn 40 in September, intends to play out the rest of his deal. “I’m looking forward for next year,” Ovechkin said on locker cleanout day. “I’m going to try to do my best to play and my team is going to help me, too. ... I just want to come back next year and see the team who’s capable of winning the Stanley Cup.” He also said he has not decided on what he will do after his contract ends. “I haven’t thought about it yet, but we’ll see what’s going to happen,” Ovechkin said. “I’m going to try to do my best to be able to do well next year, and we’ll see.”
