Alex Ovechkin Announces 2026-27 Season Will Be His Last

Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin announced that the 2026-27 season will be his last in the National Hockey League ahead of the team’s first home.

Alex Ovechkin announced to his teammates this morning that this season will be his final in the NHL https://t.co/wnnnkrIl5U

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 5, 2026

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Rumours last offseason suggested the 2025-26 season would be his last. However, as Full Press Hockey reported, Ovechkin wanted to see what the Washington Capitals would do to add to the club. GM Chris Patrick went out and brought in Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou, Boone Jenner, and Vincent Desharnais. They also signed Ryan Leonard and Justin Sourdif to long-term deals.

So the Capitals wanted Ovechkin back, and he did return for one more season, but he wasn’t the focal point of the offseason anymore. Just look at the first couple of games, and he is averaging around 12 minutes a game. That is the lowest in his career. But he had the summer to think about it, and he said it was a family decision.

From the #Gr8: https://t.co/KXVdGYUs5j

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 5, 2026

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Alex Ovechkin recorded his 895th goal, breaking Wayne Gretzky‘s goal mark of 894, on April 6th, 2025, against the New York Islanders. Since then, he has been the first player in NHL history to reach 900 goals. He currently sits at 929 goals. Ovechkin has several milestones to reach this season, aside from winning another Stanley Cup.

Ovechkin is 11 goals shy of passing Wayne Gretzky (1,016) for the most combined regular-season and playoff goals. He is also four assists shy of passing Nicklas Backstrom (762) for most assists in franchise history. And the list goes on.

When Alex Ovechkin debuted in the 2005-06 season alongside Sidney Crosby, the two players saved the NHL after the season-long 2004-05 lockout. These two players rejuvenated hockey fans and a league that needed it. They have been linked side by side for many years. Their rivalry turned into a friendship, as most great rivalries do.

Don’t forget Alex Ovechkin’s first season was supposed to be 2004-05, but he never played that season, so he could have passed Gretzky’s record for most combined goals by now. Not to mention, he lost a half season during the 2012-13 lockout, lost 12 to 14 games of the 2019-20 season because of COVID, and lost 26 games because the 2020-21 season was a 56-game regular season.

In addition, Ovechkin was rarely injured over his career. As he said in a statement to his teammates, “We have an unbelievable team this year. Let’s make the playoffs, let’s have fun and enjoy the moment because time flies.”

Alex Ovechkin spent his entire career with the Washington Capitals. He won the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year in the 2005-06 season, the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP three times, and the Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL’s leading scorer nine times, the Ted Lindsay Award as voted on by the Players three times, and the Art Ross Trophy as NHL point leader once

Alex Ovechkin won his one and only Stanley Cup in 2018 along with the Conn Smythe Trophy as Playoff MVP as the Washington Capitals defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in five games.

So, a retirement tour everyone assumed wouldn’t happen is coming in the 2026-27 season. The hockey world will cherish every single moment.

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