Ovechkin announces retirement after 2026-27 season, his 22nd in NHL
Alex Ovechkin will retire from the NHL after the 2026-27 season, he announced Monday.
The Washington Capitals captain, 41, informed his teammates of the news Monday morning. Ovechkin said he and his family decided in the summer that this would be his final NHL season.
"I love this game so much, but I know in my heart it's the right decision," Ovechkin said in a statement.
The announcement sets up one last run for the league's all-time leader in goals, with 929 and counting after passing Wayne Gretzky in April 2025. Ovechkin is in his 22nd NHL season, all with the Capitals, and signed a one-year contract worth up to $9 million in July to remain in Washington.
A RECORD-BREAKING CAREER
The numbers behind Ovechkin’s career are staggering. He is the NHL’s all-time leader in goals with 929, having passed Wayne Gretzky in April 2025.
In 1,575 regular-season games — all with the Capitals — he has piled up 1,688 points. No other player in league history has scored more goals for a single franchise.
The postseason has been just as productive. Ovechkin has 77 goals and 147 points in 161 playoff contests, numbers that helped him capture the Stanley Cup in 2018.
His trophy case goes deeper. Ovechkin is a three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner as NHL MVP and has led the league in goals nine times, a mark of sustained dominance across two decades.
He is also 36 points away from passing Mario Lemieux for ninth in NHL history, a milestone within reach during this farewell campaign. If he scores 20 goals this season, he will tie Gordie Howe for the most 20-goal campaigns at 22.
THE FINAL SEASON
Ovechkin signed a one-year contract worth up to $9 million in July to remain with Washington, setting the stage for what he called a special farewell. The Russian forward is in his 22nd NHL season, all of them with the Capitals.
"I'm excited about this season with my teammates, and we will do everything we can to make this year special," Ovechkin said in his statement Monday.
The numbers within reach give the campaign a clear shape. Ovechkin is 36 points away from passing Mario Lemieux for ninth in NHL history, a milestone that could fall before the All-Star break. If he scores 20 goals this season, he will tie Gordie Howe for the most 20-goal campaigns at 22.
Washington's captain will carry that chase into every game. The Capitals built around him for one more run, knowing the clock is now explicit.
Ovechkin's farewell tour starts with a roster that still features him atop the depth chart. His 929 career goals came with the kind of volume that made this final lap possible, and the team has shown no intention of reducing his role.
The milestones are not abstract. Each point moves him closer to Lemieux. Each goal keeps Howe's record in sight. Ovechkin said he wants to enjoy every moment this season, and the schedule gives him plenty of chances to do exactly that.
OVECHKIN'S WORDS
"It was important for me to make this announcement before our first home game so I have the chance to thank all the people around the game, everyone who has been so important to me and my family and helped me through good times and tough losses," Ovechkin said in a statement.
He added: "I wouldn't have been able to achieve everything I have in my life without them."
The 41-year-old made clear the decision was not rushed. He and his family settled on it over the summer, and he told his Capitals teammates Monday morning before going public.
"I love this game so much, but I know in my heart it's the right decision," Ovechkin said.
The tone of his farewell is gratitude, not sorrow. He framed the final season as a celebration rather than a goodbye.
"I'm going to enjoy every moment with my family, my boys, our fans, and everyone who has been part of my hockey career," Ovechkin said.
He also promised the Capitals one more push: "I'm excited about this season with my teammates, and we will do everything we can to make this year special."
The words carry weight for a franchise that has built everything around him since 2005. Ovechkin has played all 1,575 of his regular-season games in Washington, winning the Stanley Cup in 2018 and the Hart Trophy three times.
Now he wants the send-off to match the career. He said the announcement before the home opener was deliberate, giving him the chance to thank the people who watched him chase down Gretzky's record.
His appreciation extends beyond the rink. He cited his family, his boys and the fans who packed arenas through good times and tough losses.
"I'm going to enjoy every moment," he repeated. The chase for Lemieux and Howe continues, but Ovechkin made clear this season is about more than numbers.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
When the final horn sounds in 2026-27, Ovechkin's next chapter begins in Russia. He said in September that he plans to live there after retirement, with his family joining him.
"My home is Russia. DC is my second home," Ovechkin said. "I have lots of friends. I grew up here as a person and I love DC."
His return to Russia carries baggage. Before the season, he faced criticism for appearing in an ad for a Russian political party aligned with Vladimir Putin, a move that drew scrutiny amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Ovechkin addressed the backlash in September with a message of his own.
"I'm going to stay there. I'm going to live there, my kids are going to live there, family," he said. "So I'm for peace and love, and I hope everything's going to be OK."
The farewell tour now runs through Washington's home opener and beyond. Ovechkin is 36 points from passing Mario Lemieux for ninth on the NHL's all-time points list, and 20 goals this season would tie Gordie Howe for the most 20-goal campaigns in league history at 22.
The numbers remain in reach. The address after hockey, though, is already set.
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