Alex Ovechkin To Retire

What happened

Alex Ovechkin announced that this NHL season, his 22nd with the Washington Capitals, will be his last. He said his family decided over the summer, then he told teammates before the team made it public. Ovechkin is the NHL’s all-time regular-season goals leader, passing Wayne Gretzky in 2025 and entering this season with 929 goals. He has played only for Washington and led its first Stanley Cup championship in 2018. He appeared in a United Russia advertisement; the party is aligned with Vladimir Putin, fueling speculation about road reaction. He said he plans to return to Russia. Ovechkin urged teammates to make the season special. Washington’s home opener is Wednesday.

How each side covered it

From the left

Left-leaning outlets framed the retirement as both a farewell tour and a political story, putting Ovechkin’s Putin-linked image closer to the center. HuffPost foregrounded his Kremlin-friendly profile, while The Guardian leaned into the record-setting Capitals farewell and final chase for team success.

From the right

Right-leaning outlets centered legacy, family and one last run, treating the announcement as the close of a great career. Fox News emphasized Ovechkin’s all-time-great goal-scoring career, while citing his family decision, gratitude and hope to make the final season special.

Headlines

Alex Ovechkin To Retire

Every side, every morning

What happened

How each side covered it

From the left

From the right

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