Capitals Captain Alex Ovechkin Announces This Will Be His Final Season In The NHL

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin announced that the 2026-27 NHL campaign will be his final season. The 41-year-old winger shared the decision with his teammates prior to practice on Monday, stating that he and his family determined over the summer that retiring was the right move after a 22-year career.

Ovechkin is the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer with 929 goals, having surpassed Wayne Gretzky in 2025. He is currently 11 goals shy of breaking Gretzky's combined regular-season and playoff record and sits four assists away from passing Nicklas Backstrom for the Capitals' franchise lead.