Earlier today, Alexander Ovechkin, accompanied by family and an attorney, walked into the Washington Capitals’ team offices in Arlington, Va., reviewed with counsel terms for a new contract with the club, and agreed to a six-year pact that will pay him $54 million.
Tomorrow, this very report will run in one Moscow newspaper, SovetskySport.
Well into next decade, Washington will be Alexander Ovechkin’s hockey home.
We’ll have more information from SovetskySport on Ovechkin’s signing later this evening.
Updates: Dmitry Chesnokov’s story in SovetskySport can be found here.
5:50 p.m.: Official word from the Capitals:
The Washington Capitals will announce a new contract with left wing Alex Ovechkin at an 8:30 p.m. news conference at Verizon Center, immediately following the team’s Meet The Team Party for season-ticket holders.
6:40 p.m.: Word from the Meet the Team Party is that the contract is for 13 years.
6:41 p.m.: Tarik is reporting that the contract is worth $124 million.
7:17 p.m.: Ted just approached us at the season ticket holders’ meet-n-greet with the players at Verizon Center and confirmed that the original deal we reported today was correct, in years and dollars, and then the team subsequently worked out an additional seven years — for 13 total — in the package. So basically, the team sat down at the table and presented 6 years @ $9M per (the original report), then a “second” contract was negotiated at the bargaining table to start after that term for $10M per year for 7 more years, for a $124M total.
9:35 p.m.: Here is the audio of the press conference.
59 Comments
Are you guys serious? or is this some kind of January fools joke? No one else seems to be reporting this!!!! If true I am beyond happy!!!!!
This is not a joke.
YYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
oh man. There goes the Eklund prediction. I just can’t believe he was wrong!!
This is SO AWESOME!!!
If it is indeed true that is…..
It is true. More to follow.
I haven’t seen anything anywhere else yet. Curious, you’d think Montreal would be all detracting it if it was true.
I would have hope for a little longer term, but it’s good to be done!
Whew. Now on to Green’s monster deal…
-d
The longer the better, of course, but it’s better for the team than the five year deal Crosby got. I was always hoping he’d get a longer term, and even though it’s only longer by one year I’m pretty happy.
(And yes, I just broke my own rule about not bringing up Crosby in this context.)
Way to scoop, guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TSN picked up the story this afternoon, quoting their French-language affiliate RDS:
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=226952&hubname=
OMG. I swear to god I dreamed on Tuesday night that the deal had gotten done. I woke up half expecting to see it in the news yesterday. I can’t believe it was actually true- just one day late! Hahaha. Great news!
Great photo…
It’s a reasonable contract duration for both parties. It’s not so short that there’s another negotiation already looming; neither is it 10+ years which would have equal chance to burn the Capitals as it does Ovechkin.
Now that the speculation is over everyone’s blood pressure can settle back to normal. And, as “D” wrote, time to start talking to Mike Green.
Great news!
TSN.ca has sources (supposedly) that are saying the deal isn’t quite done yet? Have you heard anything like that?
Awesome news and even better that I first heard about it from a OFB!
Not so fast, says TSN.
yeah, what do you say about TSN’s claim the deal isn’t done yet. i just talked a whole lot of smack based on your report. would hate for it to be wrong. otherwise, good work……….
If it is true, Congrats from a Wings fan! Ovechkin deserves to stay in D.C.
OOPS!
TSN recants…
http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=226952&hubname=nhl
It’s ok guys, you don’t have to credit me and I’m ok if you nuke this comment as usually do. Just don’t trot out the red herrings ok?
are you seriously quoting russian news?????????
man, this isn’t true then. you never quote russian news……
THANK YOU CAPS ORGANIZATION FOR NOT LETTING THE REAL “NEXT GREAT ONE” GET AWAY. OV FOR PRESIDENT!!!!!
On top of TSN pullback, the team is now officially denying the story.
http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2008/01/10/the-ovechkin-price-6-years-54-million/
Of course the Caps will deny it. They want to be the ones to “break” the official news. There may be some i’s to dot, and t’s to cross, but it sounds like its done….lets hope.
Tonight is the full-season ticket holder party. Perhaps they plan to make the announcement then.
I was hoping Ovechkin would sign in Montreal, but this story is interesting. Especially with the Caps denying they’ve agreed to anything.
Check out my hockey blog over at:
http://thepowerplay.blogspot.com
BALLS TO THE WALL TED! Good Job!
puckteases….
Tarik now confirms as well…Ted saying the terms are the the same as reported here.
Yay! The news that many have been waiting upon!
If you seriously thought for one second that Ovy would sign somewhere else besides DC - then you should take a gun and shoot yourself in the head because YOU ARE STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!
TSN now reporting that it’s “for an average of $9.5 million per year for more than 10 years.”
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=226952&hubname=nhl
13 years, 124 million. Wow!
According to Tarik, the extension is more than double what you all had reported. Wow!
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/capitalsinsider/2008/01/ovechkin_extension_terms.html
You took the words right out of my mouth, Scai!
Yeah…a little off on those numbers there guys. But breaking the signing was all that was really needed. Well done.
lol this was fun. What a great great day to be a Capsfan!
wow
Good job OFB
Way to break the news OFB!!! I guess internet media isn’t at all reliable huh?
Way to go Ted! Way to have vision!!!
I’m so excited!!!
I’ll be shaking hands and patting them philly fans on the back sunday thanking them for helping with ovie’s salary…
May he he score a hat trick!
Ovechkin Agrees to Multiyear Deal to Remain With Capitals
WASHINGTON (AP) -Alex Ovechkin agreed to a $124 million, 13-year contract extension Thursday with the Washington Capitals, working out the details himself…
6 years was plenty!!!!!! I think we overspent. This is basically Ted putting everything on the table, and saying “F**K it, let it ride!” If this backfires, we will lose this team. Let it be known!
It’s a loooong time coming! Just saw the news and it’s time to light the Macanudos & pour some bubbly. Kudos!!!
I have to insist that the original numbers reported were correct as of this morning.
I really, really, really, really hope that Philly fan who told John Bucigross AO looked mad that he was playing in Washington shows up at the game. Heh.
Does anyone else think this is a little weird? To suddenly go from 6 years to 13? And after a deal was supposedly already struck? I’m thrilled it’s done and I don’t believe in black helicopters, but there has to be at least a little more to this.
good scoop and great news!
More will be chronicled tomorrow, but the original numbers were correct. They then negotiated a second contract to add to the original extension. Kudos to both Ted to extent an offer with that kind of commitment and to Alex for accepting when he surely could have signed a more lucrative contract further down the line.
This was a crazy day.
Congrats on getting the scoop on this story!
This was just a phenomenal announcement by Ted. Ovie’s dad & brother were there with him. What a night!!
That’s a loooong time.
I can picture people in Montreal and Toronto and NY rending their shirts and beating their chests as they mourn and lament upon hearing the news.
Wow! Well, at least the speculation can cease. Initial reaction is that I’m really happy. I hope to have a more thorough comment on it tomorrow.
I was surprised by the length of the contract, but thrilled that it is a done deal… As long as A.O. stays healthy, this could be a very good deal for the CAPS down the road… TSN had commentary about the signing that A.O. financially screwed himself over by signing for 13 years… They believe Crosby could command up to $15 million per season when his contract is up in five years… Right now, everybody is happy, so lets roll with that feeling and keep on winning!!!!
Heh, like $124 millions isn’t enough
“TSN had commentary about the signing that A.O. financially screwed himself over by signing for 13 years… They believe Crosby could command up to $15 million per season when his contract is up in five years…”
Just goes to show everyone that maybe SOME athletes aren’t in it just for the money? And how much money DOES a person really need?
Let the crybaby go for more when his deal is up in 5 years. It’ll show the class of player he is compared to Ov. This man REALLY plays for the love of the game.
Hey Well It Seem,s For the Time Being The Cap,s Fans Are Happy !!! But Remember Years Ago when Jagar Signed up with the Cap,s They Were In Seventh Heaven. Well In A Few Years If Ovechkin Stays That Long He also Will Take The Bucks And Run Off To Pursue A Team So He Can Hold The Stanley Cup Before He Gets Too OLD!!
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