Alex Ovechkin reportedly to fly back to Washington DC on September 5 ahead of 21st NHL season

Alex Ovechkin will reportedly return to North America and end his summer in Russia this week.

Sunday, Match TV reported that Ovechkin will fly back to Washington on September 5.

“Why is Ovechkin flying to America on September 5? Because he wants to start preparing for the NHL season early,” an unnamed source told the outlet, as translated by Google Translate.

Previously, Ovechkin was reported to be leaving in “early September.”

Ovechkin’s last major outing in Russia was Pavel Datsyuk’s farewell “Magic Game,” where the Capitals’ captain record a hat trick and tallied five points. Former Capitals Sergei Fedorov, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Alex Semin also suited up in the exhibition.

While the start of Capitals’ training camp is still weeks away, Caps players such as Dylan Strome, John Carlson, Matt Roy, and Logan Thompson have already returned to the area for informal skates at MedStar Capitals Iceplex. The team’s first preseason game is scheduled for September 21.

Ovechkin, who will turn 40 on September 17, has one year remaining on his contract with the Capitals, though his plans beyond this season are not yet known. Ovi sits three goals away from 900 in his career.

The 2025-26 NHL season begins on October 7 and will be the 21st of Ovechkin’s career. The Capitals’ first game is October 8 at home against the Boston Bruins .