One of the greatest hockey players to ever lace up skates (his are waxed and a signature yellow in color), Alex Ovechkin became the leading goal scorer in NHL history on April 6, 2025, when he surpassed Wayne Gretzky’s previous record of 894 goals, a feat everyone thought impossible, including Ovechkin himself.
But even in hockey’s current era of low-scoring, defensive play, Ovi has persistently terrorized goaltenders with his perfect aim and powerful shot, maintaining his dominance for 20 seasons with the Washington Capitals — all while minting a seriously impressive net worth.
With 42 goals this season — and 895 career goals and counting — he has one season left on his contract with the Caps.
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The team’s longtime Captain is also a three-time Hart Trophy winner (in 2008, 2009, and 2013) and led the Caps to their first-ever Stanley Cup in 2018. This tallies up to a barnburner in earnings; in fact, according to Forbes, Ovechkin is the NHL’s all-time highest-paid player in terms of salary and bonuses.
So, just how rich is he?
What is Alex Ovechkin’s net worth in 2025?
While his nickname, “The Great 8,” refers to his jersey number as well as his enduring status in the hockey pantheon, Ovechkin actually has nine-digit net worth.
He’s totaled $220 million in earnings before taxes and agent fees, according to Forbes, a sum that includes $160 million in salary and bonuses — an all-time high for the NHL.
Off the ice, Ovechkin has piled up another $60 million in endorsement deals, licensing, and memorabilia, a job he takes very seriously, as he reportedly changed out of his jersey each period in the days leading up to his record-breaking goal so as to accumulate the most gear possible for collectors.
For the 2024–25 season, Ovechkin made $16 million, which breaks down to $11 million in salary and $5 million in endorsements. This puts the 39-year-old third on the list of NHL’s highest-paid players, which is a feat in itself.
Only the Maple Leafs’ center Auston Matthew, who is 27, and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan McKinnon, who is 29, make more; they’re set to earn $21.7 million and $19.5 million in salaries and endorsements this season, respectively.
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Alex Ovechkin’s contract & salary
In 2021, Ovechkin signed a five-year, $47.5 million contract with the Washington Capitals. This included a $34.5 million signing bonus and $47.5 million in guarantees. His annual average salary is $9.5 million, although he made just $5 million in the first season of his contract extension due to the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Here’s a look at how much he’s made by year since he was drafted in 2005:
Ovechkin’s contracts by season
Sportrac
YearsLengthSalaryAverage salarySigning bonus
2021–2025
5 years
$47.5 million
$9.5 million
$34.5 million
2008–2020
13 years
$124 million
$9.53 million
N/A
2005–2007
3 years
$11.5 million
$3.83 million
$590,520
If it wasn’t for the NHL lockout that shuttered the 2004–05 season, Ovechkin could have had even more goals, since he was eligible to be drafted in 2004, but that’s past history now. His record will be tough to break, and some suggest that only Auston Matthews might have what it takes to go the distance.
Still, that’s a long way off; Matthews only has 398 career goals so far, and Ovechkin could be lighting the lamp a few dozen more times before his contract expires at the end of the 2025–26 season, making his record even more elusive. He told the Sports-Express, Russia’s biggest sports newspaper, that he doesn’t expect to sign any extensions with the NHL after that.
But that doesn’t mean he’ll be retiring; in fact, Ovi said he wants to return to the league where he cut his teeth, the Russian Premier League, where he’ll glide off into the sunset playing for his hometown team, Dynamo Moscow. After that, he’ll focus his energies on the hockey academy he’s building for young players.
Great indeed.
Alex Ovechkin, his wife Anastasia Shubskaya, former NHL great Wayne Gretzky, and Gretsky’s wife, Janet Jones, celebrate Avi’s 895 career goal on April 06, 2025.
Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
Alex Ovechkin’s early life and hockey career
Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin was born on September 17, 1985, in Moscow, Russia. His family name means “little lamb” in Russian, and both of his parents were professional athletes: His mother, Tatyana Ovenchkina, was a two-time Olympic gold medalist in basketball, while his father, Mikhail Ovechkin, played soccer. The family only spoke Russian, and Ovi didn’t learn English until he arrived in the United States, although he is now considered fluent.
Ovechkin had two older brothers, Sergei and Mikhail, although Sergei tragically died from a blood clot after being in a car accident when Ovi was 10. To this day, whenever he scores a goal, Ovechkin will kiss his glove and point to the sky in memory of his brother.
Mikhail Ovechkin was unable to travel to see the Capitals win the Stanley Cup in 2018 because of health reasons. This is the moment that summer when Alex brought the Cup to him at Dynamo Moscow’s training facility. As Mikhail said that day “Huge happiness.” pic.twitter.com/bdi4U2wDgc
— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) February 15, 2023
Ovi’s mother sensed his athletic ability early on — in fact, she considered him to be “destined for sporting greatness” because he took up the sport at just two years old and always stopped everything to watch it when it came on TV.
The family lived on the outskirts of Moscow, where he attended public school #596, which was known to dispense hard-nosed discipline. After graduating, he enrolled at Dynamo Moscow’s sporting school, attending twice-daily training sessions and learning the nuances of the game.
By age 11, Ovechkin had surpassed Pavel Bure’s scoring record of 53 goals. His dream, however, was to play in the NHL, and his favorite player was Mario Lemieux.
Ovechkin made his professional hockey debut on the Dynamo Moscow at the age of 16, in 2001. In his three seasons and 152 games, he racked up 36 goals and 32 assists.
He was selected first overall in the 2004 NHL Draft by the Washington Capitals, although due to the NHL lockout, Ovi would remain with Dynamo Moscow for one more season.
On October 5, 2005, Ovechkin made his NHL debut, scoring two goals against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and leading the Caps to a 3-2 victory. That season, he was named to the NHL All-Star Team and received the Calder Memorial Trophy as the season’s best rookie.
Ovechkin won the Hart Trophy, awarded to the league’s most valuable player, twice, in 2009 and 2010, and holds numerous NHL records: Most power-play goals (325), overtime goals (27), and game-winning goals (136), to name a few.
He also led the Caps to their first-ever Stanley Cup victory in 2018, scoring a goal in the Game 5 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights — and in the process was named playoff MVP.
Ovechkin led the Washington Capitals to their first-ever Stanley Cup victory.
Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images
In 2020, Ovechkin championed something different than a trophy when he encouraged his team to bring back the screaming eagle jersey it had used in the 1990s. The team revived the jersey for its 50th anniversary season in 2024, and it quickly became a favorite among fans.
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The Great 8 only missed a total of 61 games in his career; his worst injury took place on November 18, 2024, when he broke his leg colliding with Jack McBain during the Capitals’ matchup with the Utah Hockey Club.
Although he was expected to take four to six weeks to heal, Ovechkin was back skating just two weeks later, and he returned to the ice on December 28, 2024, as the Capitals took on the Toronto Maple Leafs, where Ovi scored his 869th goal.
Why does Ovechkin wear yellow laces & a tinted visor?
One interesting fact about Ovechkin is that he wears distinctive yellow laces. He is also one of the few players in the NHL to wear a tinted visor, both of which were inspired by another hockey great: Theo Fleury.
Went down to the Dome this morning and found out Ovi is a big Theo Fleury fan. Said his yellow laces and tinted visor inspiration came from me wearing them back in the day!!!! He also asked me for an autographed stick. Who’d of thought. Great morning. pic.twitter.com/8qwg3hmSg5
— Theo Fleury (@TheoFleury14) October 22, 2019
Alex Ovechkin’s endorsements
According to Forbes, Ovi has deals with Nike, Papa John’s, Upper Deck trading cards, Swiss watchmaker Hublot, and Russian companies like the sports-betting company Fonbet.
Alex Ovechkin’s business ventures
In 2021, Ovechkin submitted paperwork to trademark the phrase “The Gr8 Chase,” which referred to his quest to break Gretzky’s scoring record. He subsequently licensed T-shirts, memorabilia, and various other products with a slew of sports merchandisers including Fanatics, 500 Level apparel, FOCO bobbleheads, Inglasco pucks, and others.
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Alex Ovechkin’s personal life
Ovechkin considers himself “neutral” on politics, saying, “I have a good relationship with Russians and with Americans,” although he campaigned for Vladimir Putin during the 2018 Russian election.
After the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ovechkin called for peace, telling ESPN, “I have family back in Russia. It’s scary moments. We can’t do anything. We just hope it’s going to end soon and everyone’s going to be alright.” While Ovechkin’s Instagram profile picture currently depicts him alongside Putin, the hockey star is reportedly hesitant to change it, or speak out further, in fear of the safety of his family back in Russia.
Ovechkin dated Russian tennis pro Maria Kirilenko from 2011–2014, although the couple faced a lot of media speculation after Ovechkin failed to accompany his girlfriend to Wimbledon, and they broke off their engagement — and broke up completely — in July 2014.
The following year, Ovechkin announced his engagement to his longtime friend, model and producer Nastya Shubskaya. She is the daughter of Russian actress Vera Glagoleva.
In August 2018, the couple had a son, Sergei, named in honor of Ovechkin’s late brother. Their second son, Ilya, was born in May 2020.
Contrary to what the Internet says, Ovechkin the hockey star does not currently have a PhD, although he is studying towards a doctoral degree in education, which he plans to use at his hockey academy in Russia.
Alex Ovechkin’s real estate portfolio
The Ovechkins currently own a mansion in McLean, Virginia. Ovi purchased the 11,000-square-foot property for $4.2 million in 2012. It features five bedrooms and even has a cherry-paneled elevator.
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