'Until It Smacks Us All in the Face': Capitals’ Tom Wilson Gets Honest on Alex Ovechkin’s Retirement Decision
Alex Ovechkin is entering the final year of his contract with the Washington Capitals, and for now, he is not planning too far ahead.
Ovechkin scored 44 goals last season despite missing 16 games with a broken leg, lifting his career total to 897. "The Great Eight" is now just three shy of becoming the first player to reach 900 regular-season goals, while also sitting nine games from the 1,500 mark.
Longtime Ovechkin teammate Tom Wilson took a light approach to a question related to the uncertainty surrounding Ovechkin's future with the Capitals, and hockey overall.
“If he’s playing well and he’s scoring goals and he wants to stick around, I’m sure they will figure a way to keep him around. If he doesn’t want to play another year, then he won’t play a year,” Wilson said. “I think he’s a guy that’s just a staple here. No one will really think about him not being around here until it smacks us all in the face.”
Asked at media day about his impending retirement or signing of an extension with the Capitals, the 40-year-old captain brushed aside speculation.
“No, (I have not thought about that) yet,” Ovechkin said. “So, we’ll see what’s going to happen. I just came back (to Washington) almost a week ago, so I’m pretty sure we have lots of time to talk.”
Even though Ovechkin still has a few milestones at an arm's reach, the Russian winger said the focus this year is less about milestones and more about team success.
“You just get tired to hear, ‘When’s it going to happen? Are you going to do it?’” Ovechkin said. “Right now, we’re just focusing on different things.”
General manager Chris Patrick emphasized the organization’s patience when it comes to Ovechkin's future, leaving the door open to all options when the right time arrives.
“I want him to have the space to have this season go how he wants it to go,” Patrick said. “If he wants to talk, we’ll talk. If not, we’ll figure it out later.”
The Capitals open their season on October 8 against the Boston Bruins, with Ovechkin’s future beyond this year still undecided.
Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin suffers lower-body injury on Day 1 of training camp
The Washington Capitals are coming off a Metropolitan Division title that ended in playoff disappointment. They lost in the second round to the Carolina Hurricanes after a historic end to the regular season. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is back for likely his last NHL season after breaking the goals record, but he suffered a lower-body injury on Day 1 of training camp. But Spencer Carbery says his absence was precautionary.
“Ovechkin’s injury is ‘nothing significant,’ per Carbery. Said that him not skating was precautionary. No big concern. Lower-body, day-to-day,” Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reported.
Silber went on to report that Ovechkin did not hit the ice during Friday’s practice, which was the second day of training camp. The Capitals have over two weeks until the regular-season opener, so the concern is low with training camp just underway.
Ovechkin’s contract expires after the 2025-26 season, which has led to a lot of speculation that his NHL career will end this year. With Wayne Gretzky’s goal record broken, he has made his mark on the league and the franchise. With a playoff-caliber core around him, he does have a chance to go out on top.
Ovechkin missed 17 games last season due to a broken leg, but still tallied 44 goals, his highest total since 2021-22. While the injuries are piling up for a player at the end of his run, he can still fill up the net, unlike many others. He will be key to the Capitals’ success this season, and an injury could get the season off on the wrong foot.
The Capitals took a massive leap forward last season, jumping from the last team in the East playoffs to division champs. Can they recreate their 2024-25 magic with high expectations this season?
The Capitals open the season at home on October 8 against the Boston Bruins.
Former Gamecock Jadeveon Clowney Arrested Days Before Cowboys Deal
Former South Carolina Gamecock great Jadeveon Clowney is back in the headlines this week, but not for the reasons that made him one of the most feared defenders in college football.
According to records obtained Friday, the Rock Hill, S.C. native was arrested on Sept. 12 by the Rock Hill Police Department and charged with trespassing and failure to identify.
The incident reportedly began when Clowney attempted to park at an apartment complex near a high school football game.
Police said he argued with officers after being told the lot was restricted to residents and that his vehicle would be towed if he left it there.
The report states Clowney claimed he was visiting his aunt, but he became “highly argumentative” and refused to provide identification when requested.
He was arrested, jailed, and later released on bond.
Jadeveon Clowney’s South Carolina Legacy
Clowney remains one of the most recognizable names in South Carolina football history.
A five-star recruit out of South Pointe High School, he lived up to the hype in Columbia, earning All-American honors and delivering one of the most iconic plays in college football history with his crushing hit on Michigan running back Vincent Smith in the 2013 Outback Bowl.
Dallas Cowboys Add Veteran Pass Rusher
Just two days after the arrest, on Sept. 14, Clowney signed with the Dallas Cowboys, where he could make his debut as early as this Sunday against the Chicago Bears.
The Cowboys, who already boast one of the league’s strongest defenses, are adding the former No. 1 overall pick to bolster their pass rush for a playoff push.
The timing of the move ensures Clowney’s name will remain front and center both in college football circles that remember his dominance and across the NFL landscape as he begins a new chapter in Dallas.
