COLUMBUS, OHIO — Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis is expected to be in attendance at Nationwide Arena for what could be Alex Ovechkin‘s final game of his NHL career. A team employee was overheard plotting out Leonsis’s arrival at the Capitals’ morning skate, where Ovechkin took the ice with most of his teammates.

Leonsis, also the owner of the Washington Mystics, was previously in New York City on Monday night for the 2026 WNBA Draft held at The Shed at Hudson Yards.

Leonsis has long had a close relationship with Ovechkin and is a major reason why the Russian superstar has spent his entire legendary career in DC. In 2008, Leonsis signed Ovechkin to the biggest contract in NHL history — a 13-year, $124 million contract extension, the NHL’s first $100 million deal. Ten years later, Ovechkin helped the franchise win its first Stanley Cup. He’d later go on to break the league’s all-time goals record in 2025. Leonsis traveled for that game as well.

Recently, the owner told Capitals Radio’s John Walton he fully supports the captain taking his time to decide whether to keep playing.

“It’s a very, very big decision,” Leonsis said. “He leads our team in goals and points. He’s played a long, long time, and he’ll do the right thing, but it is a family decision, and so we support him in giving him the time. And the only way he’ll be able to do that is to get away from the game a little bit and spend time with his family, his wife, his mom, his brother, and I’m sure we’ll be communicating a lot.”

Leonsis last saw Ovechkin at the Capitals’ team photo day, getting an escort from the NHL legend across the ice.

“He jumped up and skated over to make sure I didn’t fall,” Leonsis said. “We laughed. I said, ‘It’s the 21st time, I think, 20th time, you made sure I didn’t fall.’ And just his presence, he kind of strolls into the locker room with this big smile on his face, gives you a big hug, and he still loves the game. He loves the team, he loves the community, and it’s so hard to replicate. But all good things come to an end at some point, right? And I have confidence that he’ll make the right decision. Whatever decision he makes, he won’t go at it in a not 110 percent way. I have a lot of confidence in his judgment, and we’ll see what happens.”