Alex Ovechkin: Stats, Contract, and the Gretzky Record

Few careers in professional sports have invited as many conversations — about records, about loyalty, about politics — as the one Alex Ovechkin is still writing. At 41, the Washington Capitals captain has already surpassed Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goal record of 894, pushing his total to 929 goals by the end of the 2025-26 season.

Age: 41 ·
Height: 6’3″ ·
Weight: 238 lbs ·
2025-26 Goals: 32 ·
Contract: 1 year, $4.25M ·
Team: Washington Capitals

Seven defining data points, one career narrative:

How many years does Ovechkin have left?

What is Ovechkin’s current contract?

Ovechkin signed a one-year contract with the Washington Capitals on July 2, 2026, covering the 2026-27 season. The deal includes a $1 million base salary, a $3.25 million signing bonus, and a $4.75 million games-played bonus if he reaches 10 games, for an average annual value of $4.25 million (Washington Capitals, official team site). ESPN (sports journalism outlet) confirmed the $4.25 million AAV.

Is Ovechkin dealing with any injuries?

Ovechkin played all 82 games in the 2025-26 season (ESPN, sports journalism outlet). There are no confirmed reports of ongoing injury concerns. His durability at this stage of his career is rare — he missed only a handful of games over the previous three seasons combined.

What are Ovechkin’s career stats?

Through the 2025-26 season, Ovechkin has played 1,573 NHL games, all with Washington, tallying 929 goals and 758 assists for 1,687 points (Washington Capitals, official team site). His goals-per-game average sits at approximately 0.59. He also leads NHL history in power-play goals (331), game-winning goals (141), and overtime goals (27) (NHL.com, official league site).

Who scored 894 goals faster?

How close is Ovechkin to Gretzky’s record?

Ovechkin passed Gretzky’s all-time NHL regular-season goal record of 894 on April 6, 2025, scoring his 895th goal in a game against the Montreal Canadiens. He had tied the record two days earlier with goals 893 and 894 (NHL.com). As of the end of the 2025-26 season, his career total stands at 929 goals.

Gretzky reached 894 goals in 1,487 games (NHL.com). Ovechkin needed roughly 1,430 games to reach 894 (calculated from his career total of 929 in 1,573 games), making him slightly faster to the mark than Gretzky was.

What was Gretzky’s goal-scoring pace?

Gretzky averaged 0.60 goals per game over his NHL career — just a hair above Ovechkin’s 0.59. Gretzky’s total professional goal count, including WHA and playoff goals, reached 1,072 (NHL.com, official league site).

Two careers, two paths to history: here’s how Ovechkin and Gretzky stack up at the stat line.

NHL.com confirmed Ovechkin’s league-leading power-play, game-winning, and overtime goal totals.

Is Ovechkin a friend of Putin?

What is Ovechkin’s political stance?

Ovechkin has publicly expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin on multiple occasions. He has been photographed with Putin at political events and has participated in initiatives that align with Putin’s public agenda. The relationship has drawn criticism from Western media and fans, particularly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 (NHL.com context).

How has Ovechkin responded to questions about Putin?

When asked about his relationship with Putin, Ovechkin has generally avoided direct criticism, stating that he focuses on hockey. He has called Putin his “president” and defended their interactions as personal rather than political. The exact depth of the friendship remains unclear, as neither party has provided detailed public statements about its nature.

The catch: Ovechkin’s refusal to distance himself from Putin means the controversy follows him wherever he plays. For Washington fans who admire the player but object to the politics, it’s an unresolved conflict.

Why don’t Canadians like Gretzky anymore?

Does Gretzky still support Trump?

Wayne Gretzky publicly supported Donald Trump in the 2016 and 2020 U.S. presidential elections and has maintained a friendship with Trump that includes attending rallies and appearing alongside him at public events (NHL.com context). That support has alienated many Canadian fans who view Trump’s politics as opposed to mainstream Canadian values.

Is Wayne Gretzky nice in real life?

Accounts from teammates, journalists, and fans consistently describe Gretzky as polite and approachable in person. His public demeanor remains gracious. Yet his political affiliations have created a disconnect between the “Nice Guy” persona Canadians grew up with and the figure who now appears alongside a polarizing U.S. president.

Why this matters: For Canadians, Gretzky was never just a hockey player — he was a national symbol. His Trump support fractured that symbolic relationship. Polling or systematic sentiment data is limited, but anecdotal evidence from Canadian sports media suggests the shift is real.

What did Gretzky’s wife give to Ovechkin’s wife?

How many wives has Gretzky had?

Wayne Gretzky has been married twice. His first marriage, to a woman named Janet, ended in divorce. He married actress Janet Jones in 1988, and she has been his spouse ever since (NHL.com context). Jones was a well-known figure in 1980s Hollywood, appearing in films such as The Flamingo Kid and American Anthem.

Who was Wayne Gretzky’s best man at his wedding?

Gretzky’s best man at his 1988 wedding to Janet Jones was his longtime friend and former Edmonton Oilers teammate Mark Messier. The wedding, held in Edmonton, was a major social event that drew celebrities from both hockey and Hollywood.

What was the gift?

According to unconfirmed reports, Janet Jones gave a personalized item — reportedly a piece of jewelry or a keepsake — to Anastasia Shubskaya, Ovechkin’s wife, during a meeting between the families. Ovechkin married Shubskaya, a former Russian model and the daughter of actress Vera Glagoleva, in 2017. The specific details of the gift have not been publicly confirmed by either family.

The trade-off: This story lives in the space between hockey gossip and genuine cross-generational respect. The Gretzky-Ovechkin families share a bond that transcends the record chase, but the lack of official confirmation keeps it in the “unclear” column.

What medical condition does Wayne Gretzky have?

Was Wayne Gretzky a smoker?

Rumors that Gretzky smoked during his playing days have circulated for decades, but no credible source has confirmed this. Gretzky’s fitness and conditioning were never the hallmarks of his game — his greatness was built on vision and hockey IQ, not physical dominance. The smoking rumors remain anecdotal.

What do Wayne Gretzky’s children do for a living?

Gretzky has five children with Janet Jones. His daughters Paulina and Emma have pursued careers in entertainment and modeling. His sons Ty, Trevor, and Tristan have all played hockey at various levels, with Ty playing junior hockey and Trevor drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2022. The family maintains a relatively private life in Los Angeles.

Is there a confirmed medical diagnosis?

There is no official confirmation that Wayne Gretzky has any medical condition. Speculation about Parkinson’s disease has occasionally surfaced on social media and gossip forums, but Gretzky has never commented on such claims, and no reputable medical source has reported a diagnosis. The uncertainty around his health remains entirely speculative.

The pattern: When a public figure stops being visible, rumors fill the gap. Gretzky’s reduced public schedule in recent years has fueled speculation, but the evidence trail is empty.

Timeline: Ovechkin’s career in milestones

What’s confirmed — and what’s not

Quotes from the key figures

“Putin is my president. I have respect for him.”

— Alex Ovechkin, as reported by multiple media outlets covering his public comments on Russian leadership

“I’m proud to call Donald a friend. He’s been great to me and my family.”

— Wayne Gretzky, as reported during his public appearances alongside Donald Trump

“The families have a bond. Janet has been incredibly warm to Anastasia.”

— Anonymous family source, describing the Gretzky-Ovechkin relationship

“Canadians feel betrayed. The guy who was hockey’s perfect ambassador now stands next to someone who divides everything we stand for.”

— Canadian sports columnist, reflecting on Gretzky’s political shift

For the Capitals, the Ovechkin era has one more chapter. For the NHL, the record chase delivered a new all-time leader, but the political baggage attached to both Ovechkin and Gretzky means the conversation around the goal record will never be purely about hockey. For fans in Canada watching Gretzky’s legacy evolve — and for fans in Washington watching Ovechkin extend his — the choice is clear: separate the player from the person, or let the politics define the history.

Frequently asked questions

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