After 1575 games and 22 seasons in the NHL, this is Alex Ovechkin’s final season.
The 41-year-old captain of the Washington Capitals told his teammates Monday morning that he will be retiring.
In a video posted by the Caps, he said it was important to his family to let the players find out first.
Alex Ovechkin announced to his teammates this morning that this season will be his final in the NHL pic.twitter.com/wnnnkrIl5U
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 5, 2026
He said, “It’s sad, but it is what it is,” adding, “It’s hard, but let’s enjoy it and let’s do some special things this year.”
Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky’s career goal-scoring record in April 2025 and signed a one-year contract. As of Monday, he had 929 goals in the NHL with 1688 points and 857 penalty minutes.
“We have an unbelievable team this year,” Ovechkin said. “Let’s make the playoffs, let’s have fun and enjoy the moment because times fly.”
The Capitals’ first home game this season is Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Caps’ last regular-season home game is on April 4 against their rivals, the Pens.
Their final regular-season game is against the Philadelphia Flyers on April 10.
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