Alex Ovechkin Is Coming Back For A 22nd Season With The Washington Capitals

Alex Ovechkin is not done. The Washington Capitals announced Thursday that the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer has signed a one-year contract to return for his 22nd season, a deal with a base salary of $1 million, a $3.25 million signing bonus and an additional $4.75 million performance bonus triggered if he plays at least 10 games, which would bring his total to $9 million.

The AAV is $4.25 million, down from the $9.5 million cap hit he carried last season.

Ovechkin, 40, played all 82 games last season and scored 32 goals with 32 assists, his most complete season in years and the one that cemented his place as the greatest goal scorer in the history of the sport.

He passed Wayne Gretzky's record during that campaign and finished with 929 career goals in 1,573 games.

He will begin the 2026-27 season chasing 1,000, the number that nobody in the history of professional hockey has reached and that Ovechkin is now the only person who has ever had a reasonable chance of reaching.

The Capitals missed the playoffs this past season, finishing two points out of a spot. Ovechkin had said Washington's outlook would factor into his decision.

The team has been active this offseason, signing Alex Tuch in a sign-and-trade from Buffalo, adding Boone Jenner on a $23 million deal and bringing in other pieces around their core. Apparently that was enough to convince him to come back.

He made his NHL debut on October 5, 2005 against Columbus and scored the first two of his 929 goals that night. Season 22 begins in October.