The Colorado Avalanche and their prospects will be heading to San Jose, California, to play two games at the 2026 Rookie Faceoff. The games will take place at Tech CU Arena and Sharks Ice in San Jose.
The 2026 Rookie Faceoff will take place from Sept. 12-15 and feature top prospects from the Sharks, Anaheim, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles, Utah Mammoth, and Vegas Golden Knights, with all teams playing on Sept. 12 and 13.
The Colorado Avalanche will play on:
Sat. 9/12 against the Anaheim Ducks, 2 p.m. (MT)
Sunday 9/13 against the Vegas Golden Knights, 2 p.m. (MT)
Last year, Colorado hosted the 2025 Rookie Showcase at the Suburban Sports Complex in Highlands Ranch. That was the last time they hosted it, back in 2016.
The NHL’s all-time leading scorer signed a one-year, $4.25 million contract to return to the Capitals for a 22nd season, the team announced Thursday.
Ovechkin will earn $9 million next year as long as he plays 10 games, according to The Athletic.
FILE – Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) skates in the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on April 14, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio. AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki
In April, Ovechkin was weighing retirement and said his future would depend on health going into his age-41 season.
“I’m back!” Ovechkin said in a release. “Thank you to everyone for giving me and my family the time to make this decision. I’m healthy. I love playing hockey and competing to win.”
“I’m excited to come back and join my teammates so we can fight for a playoff spot and have a chance to win. See you in September, DC!”
The 40-year-old scored 32 goals and tallied 64 points while playing all 82 games last season, but the Capitals missed the playoffs for the first time in three years.
Though the Capitals missed the postseason, the 2004 first-overall pick has little to add to his résumé entering Year 22.
04/06/25 – Washington Capitals vs. New York Islanders at UBS Arena – Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin (8) slides in celebration after he scored a goal in the second period to break Wayne Gretzky’s NHL all-time goals record against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. on Sunday, April 6, 2025. Ovechkin scored goal number 895. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post
In addition to breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record for the most goals scored ever in April 2025, Ovechkin has helped the Capitals to three Presidents’ Trophies as the best regular season team during his tenure.
He also helped bring the Capitals their first Stanley Cup title in 2018.
After scoring 15 goals in 24 playoff games, Ovechkin was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals celebrates with the Stanley Cup after his team defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game 5 of the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 7, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NHLI via Getty Images
Overall, Ovechkin has 929 career goals and 1,687 points in 1,573 regular-season games, while having 77 goals and 147 points in 161 postseason games.
In what may likely be the legend’s final season, the Capitals will look to build off a 43-30-9 finish last year and return to the postseason.
Apr 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Red Wings right wing Patrick Kane (88) and New York Rangers defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov (44) fight for the puck during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images
Danny Wild-Imagn Images
NHL teams committed more than $862 million in salary to 102 players on the first day of free agency, not counting entry-level or minor-league contracts.
Chicago signed Bowen Byram to the biggest contract at $75 million, making him the highest-paid defenseman in the league at $12.5 million a year, at least for now. Philadelphia spent the most at just under $90 million, though like the Byram deal much of that does not go into effect until the 2027-28 season.
Some of that money will be well spent, and other dollars will be regretted for years to come. Here’s a look at the early returns on offseason winners and losers:
NHL free agency winners
NEW YORK RANGERS: Fundamentals-first coach Mike Sullivan should be happy because his blue line got better even if No. 5 pick Alberts Smits needs another year to make the leap. General manager Chris Drury acquired defensemen Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson in separate trades, which should ease the burden on Adam Fox, Vladislav Gavrikov and goaltender Igor Shesterkin. Trading Vincent Trocheck to Utah opens a hole at center, but the addition of winger Pavel Dorofeyev makes up for a talent deficiency up front enough to say the Rangers got better.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS : New GM John Chayka acknowledged: “We did a lot of buying and selling over the last month. And at times maybe it didn’t make a lot of sense in terms of the individual moves. But as we thought about kind of the bigger picture and what we’re trying to create, it all kind of lined up for us.” It’s hard to argue with remaking the roster by adding goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, defensemen Darren Raddysh and Emil Andrae, and forwards Nick Paul, Colton Sissons, Jack Roslovic, Brandon Duhaime and Teddy Bleuger. Gone are Joseph Woll, Simon Benoit, Brandon Carlo, Nick Robertson, Matias Maccelli and more. With Auston Matthews’ future in question, Chayka is off to a good start as far as personnel goes and he also has No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna to weave into the mix.
SAN JOSE SHARKS : Mike Grier got immediate help by trading for Darnell Nurse and signing Mason Marchment and Jacob Trouba. They are veteran players who could help the team make the playoffs next season. He also kept stocking the cupboard of high-end-potential prospects by drafting Ivar Stenberg and two others in the first round. The short-, medium- and long-term future is bright now that San Jose is a destination with Macklin Celebrini and the Sharks on the rise.
FLORIDA PANTHERS: Even losing Bobrovsky, the 2024 and ’25 Cup champions added Brady Tkachuk to play with brother Matthew, brought back Radko Gudas and extended Eetu Luostarinen. The Panthers look loaded for another run and have tons of future salary cap space to play with.
NHL free agency losers
DETROIT RED WINGS: Detroit has not made the playoffs since 2016, now the NHL’s longest drought. And there is lingering uncertainty with captain Dylan Larkin wanting out. The Red Wings’ muddled path forward was evident Wednesday with the signing of Viktor Arvidsson and trade pickup of Keegan Kolesar representing their most notable additions. GM Steve Yzerman has the leverage of time in waiting for the best offer for Larkin. And yet the situation has the potential of becoming a bigger distraction and handcuffing Yzerman from building the roster further.
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS: Hindsight might reveal the Flyers were smart in not spending big on assets and salary cap space to get Nurse, John Carlson (who signed with Tampa Bay) or Byram. But their biggest need was a No. 1 defenseman who could run the top power play unit, and that remains a giant void. GM Daniel Briere did make a big move for years down the road by locking up Tyson Foerster for almost the next decade.
NHL free agency jury’s out
BUFFALO SABRES: The Sabres lost more proven talent than they brought in during the past two weeks, trading Byram to the Blackhawks and Alex Tuch to Washington. Landing defensive prospect Daxon Rudolph with the fourth pick in exchange for Byram helps down the road, as do the acquisitions of promising young blue liners Olen Zellweger and Louis Crevier. Buffalo has so far struck out in trade talks to get Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck this summer, after St. Louis D-man Colton Parayko declined to a move at the deadline. That leaves Jarmo Kekalainen banking on Buffalo’s talented pipeline of youth to step up to build on a season in which the Sabres won their first Atlantic Division title and snapped a league-record 14-year playoff absence.
DALLAS STARS: This all depends on what happens with Jason Robertson, a restricted free agent in need of a new contract and one that could exceed $100 million. Jim Nill traded Mavrik Bourque to Nashville for picks and cleared cap space by including Ilya Lyubushkin in that deal. He also acknowledged he had something worked out with Seattle in a trade Robertson vetoed. Reigning Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski declined to join Dallas. Everything hinges on making sure Robertson is signed or somehow recouping assets for a player in his prime coming off a 45-goal, 96-point season.
It’s been quite a couple days for the Florida Panthers.
As the calendar flipped from June to July and a new league year began, the Panthers kept very busy both signing and trading for new additions to the franchise.
Over the past several days, Florida seemed to get progressively busier, culminating in a wild July 1 that saw them make nearly a dozen moves to fortify their roster for what the team expects to be a return to Stanley Cup contention.
The fun started on Monday, when Florida traded the rights of A.J. Greer to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange to the rights of defenseman Radko Gudas, both of whom were set to hit free agency two days later.
Later that night, the Panthers picked up their first goaltender, acquiring Akira Schmid from the Vegas Golden Knights for a 2028 third-round pick.
It was maybe 12 hours later that Florida completed their goaltending tandem, trading for former Cats tendie Jacob Markstrom, along with forward Angus Crookshank, and sending Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist and Ben Steeves to the New Jersey Devils.
That leads us to Wednesday, the first of July and the start of a new NHL league year.
To say that the Panthers were busy despite having the majority of their NHL roster being accounted for would be an understatement.
By the time the day was done, the Cats had fortified their depth at the NHL level while adding several pieces that will help their AHL squad who are also prime candidates for call-ups if and when the Panthers need it.
Here are the moves Florida made on Wednesday:
Sign forward Eetu Luostarinen to an eight-year extension
Sign forward Sandis Vilmanis to an eight-year extension
Sign defenseman Radko Gudas to a six-year contract
Sign forward Cole Schwindt to a two-year contract extension
Sign defenseman Alexander Petrovic to a two-year contract
Sign forward Lars Eller to a one-year contract
Sign defenseman Donovan Sebrango to a one-year contract extension
Sign defenseman Toby Bjornfot to a one-year, two-way contract extension
Sign forward John Beecher to a one-year, two-way contract
Sign forward Sam Lafferty to a one-year, two-way contract
Sign forward Boko Imama to a one-year, two-way contract
Sign defenseman Casey Fitzgerald to a one-year, two-way contract
There could be more moves coming, including a new contract for goaltender Akria Schmid, which Zito indicated would be coming at some point.
“I’m not anticipating real difficulty," he said when asked about Schmid on Wednesday. "I’ve spoken to him, he’s excited to be here.”
Based off their current cast of characters, here is a projected look at their forward lines and defensive pairings could break down when Opening Night arrives.
Keep in mind that an NHL roster can only carry a maximum of 23 players, so there can only be a total of three extra players (healthy scratches). We’re listing several options for those extra spots, as the final decisions will likely come down to how each player performs during training camp.
Brady Tkachuk – Sasha Barkov – Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand
Jonah Gadjovich – Lars Eller – Garnet Hathaway
Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones
Dmitry Kulikov – Radko Gudas
Jacob Markstrom
Akria Schmid
Extra forwards: Cole Reinhardt, Cole Schwindt, Sandis Vilmanis
Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
The Sharks signed Ivar Stenberg to an entry-level contract on Thursday.
Terms were not disclosed.
“I’m just super thankful and super excited to be a Shark,” Stenberg said.
The 5-foot-11 winger, the No. 2 pick of the 2026 NHL Draft, is expected to compete for a spot in the Sharks’ top nine this upcoming season.
“There’s no doubt,” Sharks director of player development Todd Marchant said about Stenberg’s NHL-readiness. Though he cautioned, “there’s a curve that each player has to go through.”
Stenberg did nothing to shake the Sharks’ confidence in development camp.
While San Jose Barracuda head coach John McCarthy didn’t want to go as far as declare Stenberg NHL-ready right away, he did explain how both Stenberg and 2024 No. 1 pick Macklin Celebrini separated themselves in their first development camps.
“Making plays in small, tight areas,” McCarthy said. “They can obviously separate with their speed, with their feet, create time and space with their hands. Smart players that see the ice well and make a lot of really good plays.”
As part of their signings on the opening day of the NHL Free Agency period, the Detroit Red Wings inked veteran forward Viktor Arvidsson to a two-year contract with a salary cap hit of $5 million.
Arvidsson, who played last season with the divisional rival Boston Bruins, scored 25 goals with 29 assists, helping his club reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs after finishing fourth overall in the Atlantic, eight points ahead of Detroit.
The Swedish-born forward, who was selected by the Nashville Predators in the fourth round (112th overall pick) of the 2014 NHL Draft, is already familiar with head coach Todd McLellan after having played under him while with the Los Angeles Kings from 2021 through 2024.
For him, it was an "easy" decision to agree to join the Red Wings.
"I've known Todd since before, and really liked playing under him and stuff like that," Arvidsson said on Thursday. "It was an easy decision, and I'm happy to be a Red Wing. It's going to be fun."
Not only is Arvidsson a quick skater who can play with an edge, but he also brings an effectiveness in five-on-five scoring that the Red Wings have sorely lacked.
"I'm going to bring a competitive aspect to the game, and try and be a role model for the younger guys, and just to bring some leadership and try to play hard, and put my best in front and just go from there."
Arvidsson played with fellow Swede Lucas Raymond during the Winter Olympics in Milan, and also has trained with Axel Sandin-Pellikka during the offseason.
He's played twice now in the Stanley Cup Final, with the Predators in 2017 and with the Edmonton Oilers in 2024. Meanwhile, the Red Wings are stuck in the NHL's longest postseason drought.
Having already skated in 91 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, Arvidsson wants to be part of the solution that brings postseason hockey back to Detroit.
"That's always my goal, to get together as a group and win games together," he said. "Every team is saying this when Training Camp starts, that they'll be a team that makes the playoffs."
It's a tough League to go into and make the playoffs, but second of all, go all the way. That's my goal every year: to play meaningful hockey."
Arvidsson has scored 219 goals with 224 assists in 682 regular season games, with another 17 goals and 29 assists during the postseason.
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Fedotov signeing in the KHL comes after he spent all of this past season in the AHL with the Cleveland Monsters. In 47 games during the 2025-26 season with the Columbus Blue Jackets' AHL affiliate, he had a 23-16-6 record, an .887 save percentage, a 2.87 goals-against average, and two shutouts
Fedotov was selected by the Flyers with the 188th overall pick of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. After spending several seasons in Russia, Fedotov made the move to North America late during the 2023-24 season with the Flyers.
In 29 games over two seasons with the Flyers, Fedotov posted a 6-14-5 record, a 3.29 goals-against average, and an .874 save percentage. His time with the Flyers ended this past off-season when he was traded to the Blue Jackets in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick.
After San Jose Sharks General Manager Mike Grier finished with his big moves on July 1, he had a few smaller moves to make in order to round out organizational depth.
On Thursday, the Sharks announced that they had signed four players, all of which are expected to end up playing for their American Hockey League affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, this coming season.
The most notable name among the group was former Tampa Bay Lightning forward Alex Barre-Boulet. Barre-Boulet is the most likely of the signings to appear in an NHL game this coming season, but he's likely going to bring some high-end scoring to the Barracuda. Last season, the 29-year-old forward finished second in the AHL in points, trailing just Syracuse Crunch standout Jakob Pelletier.
Barre-Boulet joins the Sharks organization on a two-year contract with a cap hit of $875k per season.
The Sharks then went on to sign two of Barre-Boulet's teammates with the Colorado Eagles last season, Kyle Keyser and Tye Felhaber. Felhaber is the more likely of the two to be an impact player for the Barracuda, as last season he scored 15 goals and 31 points in 63 games for Colorado.
Keyser, on the other hand, is a goaltender who regularly splits his time between the AHL and the ECHL. As a result, he'll likely serve as the backup for the Barracuda behind Matt Davis, unless Connor Hasley is able to take over that role.
Brett Leason, the Sharks' final signing to this point, is another player who has an opportunity to get called up to the NHL at some point this season. The 27-year-old was an NHL regular for the Anaheim Ducks just a couple of years ago, but given the Sharks' logjam of bottom-six forwards, he seems destined to be a high-end role player for the Barracuda.
Last season, Leason scored 14 goals and 44 points in 56 games with the Hershey Bears.
A number of former San Jose Sharks were on the move on Wednesday, with some others still remaining on the free agent list. Some players were departing the Sharks for the first time this summer, while some had stints with the team in teal in years past.
Leaving San Jose
There were five players whose contracts with the San Jose Sharks ended on July 1 that have already found a new home for the 2026-27 season and beyond.
The longest-tenured Shark to move on was Mario Ferraro, who had spent his entire career up to this point in the Bay Area. Now, he'll be heading north of the border. The 27-year-old defenseman signed a three-year contract with the Winnipeg Jets with an average annual value of $4 million, well below what many expected him to get on the open market.
Another departing blue liner, Vincent Desharnais, was a player that the Sharks were looking into potentially keeping, but instead he's heading to the nation's capital. The 30-year-old defenseman received a four-year contract from the Washington Capitals, with an average annual value of $4.2 million, slightly higher than Ferraro's figure.
While those were the only two NHL-caliber Sharks to find a new home on the first day of free agency, there were a number of San Jose Barracuda also on the move. Egor Afanasyev returned to North America last season with the hopes of carving out an NHL role for himself, instead he spent the entirety of the season in the American Hockey League with the Barracuda. Now, he's heading back to his native Russia, as he's signed with Avangard Omsk for the 2026-27 season.
A pair of Barracuda players opted to remain in California, as Jett Woo and Laurent Brossoit both signed with the Anaheim Ducks and are expected to report to their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls.
Sharks of Yesteryear on the Move
Former San Jose Sharks netminder Vitek Vanecek found himself a new home after a less than stellar season with the Utah Mammoth. The 30-year-old joined the New York Islanders on a one-year deal worth $1 million.
Former Sharks forward Lane Pederson is returning to California, as he signed a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Kings worth $1.75 million that carries a cap hit of $875k.
The Sharks' 60th overall selection in the 2016 NHL Draft, Dylan Gambrell, has also earned himself another NHL contract, as he signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Wild worth $850k.
Former Sharks forward Jack Studnicka earned himself a two-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers with the same financial terms as the aforementioned Pederson.
The previously mentioned Ferraro won't be the only former Shark heading to Winnipeg, as he'll be joined by Noah Gregor who signed a one-year contract with the Jets worth $850k.
Enforcer Jeffrey Viel earned himself the most term of any former Shark, signing a five-year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning worth $12.5 million.
Kaapo Kahkonen will be staying in Montreal after a short stint as an unrestricted free agent. He signed a one-year contract worth $1 million to serve as a depth goaltender option.
While Mike Grier was busy doing business of his own, a number of former Sharks were finding themselves a new home and there will certainly be more to come in the coming days.
The Vancouver Canucks have continued to make depth signings after the first day of free-agency, signing 25-year-old forward Matthew Stienburg to a one-year, two-way contract.
Formerly selected in the third-round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche, Stienburg spent his collegiate career with Cornell University before making the jump to professional hockey in the 2022–23 season. His most offensively-productive college season came in 2021–22, when he put together 13 goals and 16 assists in 27 games.
After wrapping up his tenure at Cornell, Stienburg played in his first pro game with the Colorado Eagles of the AHL in 2022–23. His first full AHL season came the year after, during which he tallied five goals and eight assists in 54 games.
Stienburg made his NHL debut as a member of the Avalanche on October 16, 2024 against the Boston Bruins. He skated in a total of eight games through the month of October before being sent back to the Eagles after sustaining an injury.
Since then, injuries have resulted in Stienburg playing in a total of 13 games for the Eagles during both the 2024–25 and 2025–26 seasons. Through that span, he has put together three goals and three assists.
Sep 25, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Kurtis MacDermid (56) celebrates his goal with the bench ahead of right wing Matthew Stienburg (36) in the third period against the Vegas Golden Knights at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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It's officially over: the Philadelphia Flyers aren't signing John Carlson, or any of the other big fish in NHL free agency this year.
That isn't necessarily a bad thing, though, at this point in time.
Carlson, 36, signed a two-year, $17 million ($8.5 million AAV) deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, taking him off the market for the Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes, and other playoff hopefuls around the NHL.
Even though the Flyers needed Carlson's services to improve the dreadful power play, they would be best suited giving those minutes to younger players with the potential to develop that kind of impact.
This is especially important, seeing that the Flyers have regularly failed to recruit elite talent to their cause over the course of this rebuild to date.
The one prospect who will undoubtedly benefit the most from the Flyers' miss on Carlson is defenseman David Jiricek, who was acquired from the Minnesota Wild for Bobby Brink at the NHL trade deadline.
Jiricek, 22, has all the makings of a future NHL power play quarterback with his poise, creativity, vision, and booming shot. His defending, decision-making, and mobility all need to come along, but the Flyers went out of their way to trade for him knowing that.
The 2022 No. 6 overall pick will need to pass through waivers to be assigned to the AHL by the Flyers next season, which effectively guarantees him an NHL roster spot to start the year.
By getting regular high-leverage minutes at the NHL level, Jiricek will continue to hone his hockey brain and defending, learning his opponents' tendencies and better understanding himself, his strengths, and his weaknesses.
"He proved that he's ready for the next level. For him, it's gonna be a battle for ice time. It's going to be up to him. Big summer for him. Yeah, he needs waivers. We're aware of that, and he's going to get a good look, and we hope that he's ready for it. We feel he's ready for it, but he's going to have to show it on the ice," Flyers general manager Danny Briere said of Jiricek in a recent Q&A with The Hockey News. "We know the offense is there, the big shot is there, the size is there, and that's just for him to round out his game, where he becomes a player that the coaches trust every night."
Now that the Flyers won't be getting Carlson, they are likely to pivot and sign former captain Claude Giroux, which would undoubtedly give Jiricek's ability to produce at even strength and on the power play a big boost.
Other decisions the team has made, like re-signing Dan Vladar and Christian Dvorak, say otherwise, but it is objectively the right choice for the Flyers to continue prioritizing the development of their young players over results.
In the long run, the Flyers may be better off missing out on John Carlson.
The Belleville Senators coaching staff for the 2026-27 AHL season is now complete.
Last week, the B-Sens announced that interim head coach Andrew Campbell would return to the job in a full-time capacity after signing a three-year contract with the club. Campbell took over mid-season this year after the departure of David Bell.
GM Steve Staios talks about William Eklund, who's expected to pick up some of the offensive void left by Brady Tkachuk's sudden departure.
Campbell has retained assistant coaches Stefan Legein and goaltending coach Paul Gibson for their third seasons with the B-Sens.
But new to the staff this year is longtime NHL defenseman Joe Cirella, a veteran of 828 NHL games, most of them with the New Jersey Devils back in the 1980s. Cirella also played for Florida, the New York Rangers, Quebec Nordiques, and Colorado Rockies before winding up his career with a very brief stint in Ottawa in 1995-96.
For old schoolers, Cirella is the answer to a fine hockey trivia question: Name the last former member of the defunct Colorado Rockies to retire from the NHL.
Cirella played for the Rockies during their final season in Denver before the team relocated and became the New Jersey Devils. One of his teammates with the Rockies was former Sens head coach Dave Cameron, now the Ottawa 67s head coach.
Now 63, Cirella brings a wealth of coaching experience to Belleville's table, spending the past eight seasons with the Calgary Wranglers, the AHL affiliate of the Flames. He spent one season under rookie Wranglers head coach Brett Sutter before parting ways with the club at the end of the season.
Cirella was replaced on the staff last month by former Soo Greyhounds head coach John Dean.
Cirella's assistant coaching career also includes 13 seasons in the OHL with the Soo Greyhounds, Peterborough Petes, and Oshawa Generals. His only NHL coaching experience was his first season as a coach, shortly after retiring as a player, when he joined Florida's staff in 1997-98.
As a player, Cirella was a fifth-overall pick by the Rockies in 1981, right behind future Hall of Famers like Dale Hawerchuk and Ron Francis.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published on The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. For full coverage of the Senators, check out one of the latest headlines below:
Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin will continue to play in the NHL, giving him a chance to add to his record goal total and chase another Stanley Cup.
Ovechkin, who will turn 41 in September, signed a one-year contract Thursday, July 2. He will earn $1 million in salary, a $4.75 million games-played bonus (10 games) and a $3.25 million signing bonus. Ovechkin’s contract will carry an average annual value of $4.25 million.
"I’m back!" said Ovechkin. "Thank you to everyone for giving me and my family the time to make this decision. I’m healthy. I love playing hockey and competing to win. I’m excited to come back and join my teammates so we can fight for a playoff spot and have a chance to win. See you in September, DC!”
Ovechkin, who scored 32 goals last season at age 40, will join Sidney Crosby, Gordie Howe, Alex Delvecchio, Stan Mikita and Steve Yzerman as the only players in NHL history to play 22 seasons with one franchise. Ovechkin will also surpass Walter Johnson (21 seasons with the Washington Senators: 1907-1927) as the city's longest-tenured athlete.
"Our entire organization is thrilled that Alex has decided to continue playing," Capitals general manager Craig Patrick said. "Alex has proven year after year that he can produce offensively and that he is still the driving force of our team."
What went into Alex Ovechkin's decision
After the season and the final year of his previous contract, Ovechkin said he hadn't made up his mind about his future, but he did leave some hints.
First, he waved off the Pittsburgh Penguins when they came over to shake his hand after their final meeting of the regular season.
He also said in end-of-season media availability that his two sons wanted him to return.
"They're excited," he said. "They want me to come back because they love the city, they love the team, they love the boys."
After missing the playoffs for just the fifth time, he wanted to make sure the Capitals could be a contender.
The Capitals did their part, trading for Jordan Kyrou and then acquiring Alex Tuch in a sign-and-trade. When free agency began, they signed Boone Jenner and Vincent Desharnais.
"We are excited about the additions we made this offseason to bolster our lineup and make our group more competitive," Patrick said. "We believe that our roster is well balanced and will help create more opportunities for Alex to create offense and score goals. In addition, his presence in our locker room – especially with our young players – will continue to be an enormous boost for our organization and will help shape our team culture for years to come."
Everything came together and now Ovechkin is back to add to his records and chase others.
Alex Ovechkin records
Total goals: 929
Power play: 331
Empty net: 72
Game winners: 141
Overtime goals: 27
Goalies scored on: 189,
30-goal seasons: 20
40-goal seasons: 14
50-goal seasons: 9, tied for first
Records Alex Ovechkin still chasing
20-goal seasons: He's at 21 seasons, one behind Gordie Howe
Combined regular-season/playoff goals: He's at 1,006, 10 behind Gretzky.
Even-strength goals: He's at 593, 24 behind Gretzky.
Apr 14, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) wrists a shot on goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the third period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images
Russell LaBounty/Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images
ARLINGTON, Va. — Alex Ovechkin is returning for a 22nd NHL season after re-signing with the Washington Capitals.
The league’s career goal-scoring record holder inked a deal with a $1 million salary and bonuses worth an additional $8 million. Ovechkin turns 41 in September.
Ovechkin has 929 goals after scoring 32 last season. The Russian superstar broke Wayne Gretzky’s mark of 894 goals in April 2025.
He had said in recent months he was waiting until the offseason to decide whether to return or retire. Ovechkin in a news release sent out by the Capitals declared, “I’m back.”
After a quiet first day, the Wild have made a big splash.
The move creates another significant change on Minnesota's blue line. Middleton was entering the second season of a four-year contract carrying a $4.35 million cap hit.
Coleman has one year left at $4.9 million, but the Flames are also retaining half of that contract. Maatta has two-years left at $3.5 million.
This trade came not even a full day after Guerin said, "We've been involved in a lot of different things. Some didn't work out. Some we backed out of. Some we don't know yet."
Coleman, 34, had 20 goals last year and 35 points in 69 games for the Flames. He has recorded 170 goals, 155 assists and 325 points in 693 career NHL games.
He was with the Tampa Bay Lightning for two seasons and won back-to-back Stanley Cups. In his career, Coleman has four 20-goal seasons and has a career-high of 30 in 2023-24 with the Flames.
His first four NHL seasons was in New Jersey under current Wild head coach John Hynes. He coached Coleman for all four years.
Maatta, 31, was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2012. Not only was Hynes around him for rookie camps and development camps, but Bill Guerin had him for five years when he was in Pittsburgh.
The 6-foot-2 defenseman had two goals, 12 assists and 14 points in 22 games with the Flames last year after he was traded from Utah in the MacKenzie Weegar trade.
He is a stud defensivly. This proves to be a tremendous trade by Guerin and the Wild.
The final trade:
To Minnesota: Blake Coleman and Olli Maata
To Calgary: Jake Middleton, 2027 third round pick, 2028 fourth round pick and a 2029 second round pick.
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