Overview

• Ovechkin called retirement speculation “pure nonsense” in a July 14 interview and confirmed he has no set end date for his NHL career.
• He has not signed an extension beyond the 2025–26 season and said any decisions on his long-term future remain undecided.
• The Capitals retracted an email that mistakenly described next season as his last and earlier comments from his wife about returning to Moscow heightened the rumors.
• Ovechkin is working with longtime coach Pavel Burlachenko as he targets breaking the 900-goal barrier and eventually reaching 1,000 career goals.
• When asked about hypothetical trades for Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, he called such moves “wonderful” but emphasized the Capitals can compete on their own.