Alex Ovechkin isn’t back in the Washington, DC area just yet.
The Capitals captain was previously expected to fly back from his native Russia on Friday, but his plans have changed slightly. According to a report from Sport-Express’ Artem Bukhaev, Ovechkin’s return has been delayed for “several” days.
“Alexander hasn’t flown out yet,” Ovechkin’s Russian agent, Gleb Chistyakov, told Bukhaev, as translated by Google Translate. “He’ll fly out in a few days. He postponed the flight. Everything is fine, don’t look for problems.”
Ovechkin’s wife, Nastya Ovechkina, posted a video of Ovechkin dancing at a party with his mom, Tatyana Ovechkina, to her Instagram Story on Saturday.
The Capitals announced earlier this week that preseason preparations will begin for the full roster on Thursday, September 18, with the first day of 2025 Training Camp.
A good portion of the club’s NHL veterans have already started hitting the ice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex for informal skates with skills coaches. The team’s first preseason game, on the road against the Boston Bruins, is in just over two weeks on September 21.
Ovechkin is headed into his age-40 season, his 21st with the Capitals in the NHL. The 2025-26 campaign is the final year of his contract, and he has said he will likely play out the year before deciding on his future with the club.
The league’s all-time leading goal scorer sits just three goals away from becoming the first player to ever score 900 goals and just nine games played away from 1,500 in his career. Ovechkin said last month that his goals for the season are “to play well and try to win the Stanley Cup.”
Ovechkin began preparations for the season back home in Russia with his personal trainer, Pavel Burlachenko. He has been actively working out since July.
Update (9/7): According to Russian news agency TASS, the Ovechkin family flew to Dubai on Sunday. They will then depart Dubai for Washington, DC.
