Ovechkin informed teammates on 5 October 2026 that the 2026-27 season will be his 22nd and final campaign in the NHL.
The 41-year-old entered the season with 929 goals, having broken Wayne Gretzky's regular season record of 894 in April 2025.
Ovechkin agreed to a one-year, $4.25 million deal with Washington in July 2026 after the Capitals missed the 2025-26 playoffs.
Ovechkin skated 12 minutes and 46 seconds in the season opener against Carolina, averaging about 13 minutes through the first two games compared to his career average of over 20 minutes.
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin announced on Monday that the 2026-27 NHL season will be his 22nd and final campaign in the league. Head coach Spencer Carbery called on the 41-year-old winger to address the locker room before the team published the announcement. Ovechkin signed a one-year, $4.25 million contract extension in July after deciding with his family over the summer that this season would conclude his North American playing career. The announcement was delivered ahead of Washington's home opener on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Capital One Arena. Ovechkin expressed gratitude to the organization and its supporters in an official statement released by the team.
“My family and I decided this summer that this will be my final year in the NHL. I love this game so much, but I know in my heart it's the right decision.”
Selected first overall by the Capitals in the 2004 draft, Ovechkin joined the NHL in 2005 and became the longest-tenured professional athlete in Washington sports history. In April 2025, he scored his 895th regular-season goal to pass Wayne Gretzky, whose record of 894 goals had stood for 31 years after Gretzky surpassed Gordie Howe in 1994. Ovechkin entered his final season with 929 goals and 1,688 points in 1,575 games, placing him 10th in league scoring history. His resume includes league records for power-play goals (331), game-winning goals (141), overtime goals (27), and 40-goal seasons (14). The three-time league MVP also captained the Capitals to the franchise's first Stanley Cup title in 2018.
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After missing the postseason in the 2025-26 campaign, the Capitals reloaded their roster during the offseason to mount another playoff push. The organization signed forward Boone Jenner and defenseman Vincent Desharnais while acquiring forwards Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou through trades. Washington opened the schedule on Friday with a 5-2 road victory over the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes before dropping a 3-1 decision to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. Ovechkin played 12 minutes and 46 seconds in the season opener, his lowest ice time in any career regular-season game without an injury or ejection. He averaged about 13 minutes per contest across the first two games, down from his career mark of over 20 minutes.
The Russian winger also drew attention during the offseason after appearing in a promotional video for Vladimir Putin's United Russia party alongside Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and former hockey player Viacheslav Fetisov. Ovechkin stated at a September media day that he supports his country while expressing hope for peace and goodwill around the world. A Capitals spokesperson told AP that Ovechkin resides in Moscow during offseasons and intends to live there with his family following his retirement. He has not specified whether he will retire from all hockey or pursue opportunities in Russia after the NHL season concludes. Ovechkin enters the remainder of the schedule 11 goals behind Gretzky for the combined regular season and playoff goals record, and four assists away from passing Nicklas Backstrom for the franchise assists record of 762.
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The 41-year-old Washington Capitals captain and all-time NHL goal-scoring leader informed teammates on Monday that his 22nd season will be his last in the league.
AI text based on reports by BBC, Axios, watson.ch/ and other publishers. Published .