On July 14, Florida Panthers superstar Sergei Bobrovsky took part in the highly anticipated “Match of the Year” — a charity game between the most powerful leagues of ice hockey, Kontinental Hockey League players, and Russian NHL stars. Sharing the ice with several national teammates, including Alex Ovechkin, Bobrovsky played a key role as the NHL squad triumphed over the KHL All-Stars with a lopsided score line of 15-3.

Beyond the game itself, organizers took the opportunity to honour Alex Ovechkin for his historic milestone. On April 6, 2025, Ovechkin scored his 895th career goal, surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s long-standing NHL goals record, in a game against Ilya Sorokin and the New York Islanders. To celebrate the achievement, Ovechkin was recognized with a tribute video featuring his career highlights and was also presented with a car, the Jetour T2.

One of the standout moments of the event came before the puck drop. During warm-ups, Bobrovsky shared a touching on-ice exchange with Ovechkin’s sons, Sergei and Ilya. In a playful gesture, Bob intentionally let in a goal from one of Ovechkin’s sons, creating a special memory for the young boys and their legendary father.

Overall, the relationship between Alex Ovechkin and Sergei Bobrovsky exemplifies the complex tapestry of sports rivalries. It showcases competition and respect intertwining to create a unique and compelling narrative. As countrymen, they share a strong bond. Just like last year, this Match of the Year could have played a role in keeping the worms warm before fishing in the real pond of the NHL. The upcoming year gonna be a new curve in both players’ hockey journey as they are on the verge of ending their contracts with their respective teams.

Alex Ovechkin and Bobrovsky’s future in the NHL under the spotlight

Now preparing for his 21st NHL season, Ovechkin returns to the ice with determination. The upcoming season marks the final year of the five-year contract he signed with the Washington Capitals in 2021. Ovechkin remains fully focused on the season ahead, but he hasn’t revealed his plans beyond this year, prompting fans and analysts to speculate about the future of the all-time leading goal scorer.

When it comes to Ovi’s future in the National Hockey League, some believe this could be his final year in the NHL, although no official source has confirmed it yet. Actually, around the end of May 2025, the NHL community was in shock when an email hit the NHL world, which had written content predicting that 2026 could be his last year. But then, Capitals’ PR team confronted the issue and clarified, “No decision has been made on Alex Ovechkin’s future following the 2025-26 NHL season.” In fact, Ovechkin recently called the retirement rumors “pure nonsense.”

He recently appeared on Sport-Express. “(My wife said in an interview) maybe we will come and play in Russia, but anything can happen,” Ovechkin said, per a DeepL translation. “This is pure nonsense that (the media) flipped things and put Nastya in that position.” Alex Ovechkin’s wife, followed by the email issue, had spoken about Ovechkin’s future. She had said that he might come to Russia. According to rumors, there are actually high chances of him joining his favorite KHL team, Dynamo Moskva. But let’s see what decision the franchise and Ovechkin make ahead of 2026, when the all-time goal scorer will be an Unrestricted Free Agent. 

On the other hand, to talk about his fellow countryman Bobrovsky, who is in the final discussion of his contract. Sergei Bobrovsky’s current contract is a 7-year, $70,000,000 deal with the Florida Panthers, signed on July 1, 2019. His Florida Panthers journey started after successful stints with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers, and SKA Saint Petersburg. 

Bob was asked about his future with the Panthers after winning the cup on June 22. He replied, “I try to stay with one moment at a time, you know. And I just, at the moment. I appreciate it, again, for the experience I just had. It’s been amazing, and I just wanted to value that experience and take my time to break it down. And enjoy it completely, and then think about what’s next.” According to experts, he will be the future goaltender of the team. But let’s wait for the official announcement.