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Alex Ovechkin Signs Intriguing Deal as Retirement Looms Alex Ovechkin Makes Personal Decision as Retirement Looms

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Aug 6, 2025 8:00 AM ET

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has signed an agreement with Russian tech giant Yandex and its streaming platform, Kinopoisk, to produce a documentary series chronicling his NHL career.

The deal comes as the 39-year-old enters the final season of his five-year, $47.5 million contract and his 21st year in the league.

The project will be produced by Plus Studio, Yandex’s in-house label, and distributed on Kinopoisk. Ovechkin and his representatives have granted full adaptation rights, and filming is expected to take place in North America.

The deal was announced on Tuesday, and it comes on the heels of a report from Russian outlet Match TV claiming that, as ordered by the NHL, Ovechkin will be "banned" from exclusive interviews with media from his country throughout the 2025 offseason.

Alex Ovechkin partners with a Russian technology company to make a movie about his career https://t.co/4rwKLUZIoR pic.twitter.com/QGhPN7VcLU
— Toronto Sun (@TheTorontoSun) August 5, 2025

One Final Chapter for Alex Ovechkin in D.C.?

The production of Ovechkin's documentary will cover the Moscow native’s journey from the Russian KHL, where he started playing professional hockey, to becoming the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer.

Ovechkin is coming off a record-breaking season in which he scored 44 goals in just 65 games, missing time with a broken leg. That brought his career total to 897, surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s legendary mark of 894 and cementing his place in history.

Now, with the Capitals running back the core that earned them the Metropolitan Division title in 2024–25, the upcoming season could be Ovechkin’s last on NHL ice if the Russian winger retires after completing his contract with Washington.

Ovechkin, however, has made no official decision on his future, although the timing of the documentary will reasonably fuel speculation about a storybook sendoff.

A Fitting Tribute for “The Great Eight”

Since debuting in 2005 after the Capitals drafted him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 draft, Ovechkin has become the face of the franchise and an all-time hockey player.

Ovechkin has served as captain since 2010, won three Hart Trophies as MVP of the league among many other trophies, and led the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup in 2018, where he was also named playoff MVP.

No release date has been announced for the documentary, but it is expected to premiere at some point after the 2025–26 season concludes.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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