ARLINGTON, VA — The NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer is back on the ice.
Alex Ovechkin returned to MedStar Capitals Iceplex on Monday, participating in the team’s informal skate for the first time this season.
Ovechkin said hello to reporters in attendance as he emerged from the locker room, filming promotional content in a Capitals home sweater before returning in white practice gear for the skate.
“What’s going on?” he asked, seeming to be in a particularly good mood.
Alex Ovechkin returns to skate at MedStar Capitals Iceplex
Ovechkin came back to DC from Russia late last week, greeting several teammates at the team’s practice facility on Friday with the same enthusiasm.
Monday, however, marked his first time on Capitals ice since arriving. He became the last of the Capitals’ NHL roster players to join the skates, with Training Camp set to kick off on Thursday.
Once Ovechkin’s teammates welcomed him back, the team took part in drills before beginning their regular informal scrimmage — this time with a major upgrade on the wing for Team White.
Perhaps because of Ovechkin’s return, Monday’s skate was particularly high-energy, with players’ cheers audible even off the ice. A playful disagreement arose after one contentious scrimmage goal: Ovechkin ruled it was onside.
Ovechkin, who will turn 41 on the first day of Training Camp, is set to enter his 22nd Capitals season this fall after a year of retirement speculation. He ended last season still pondering whether he’d remain in the NHL before ultimately opting to return, signing a one-year, bonus-laden contract with Washington in early July.
“I know I still can play and bring energy to the locker room, energy on the ice, and give the result what I can give,” he told reporters after signing.
After breaking the NHL’s all-time goals record in April 2025, Ovechkin notched 64 points (32g, 32a) in 2025-26, bringing his career goal total to 929. He now sits just 71 away from the 1,000-goal mark.
