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Alex Ovechkin Announces 2026-27 Will Be His Final NHL Season
4 min read
Trendy TodayEditorial Staff
Alex Ovechkin has announced that the 2026-27 season will be his last in the NHL. The Washington Capitals captain told teammates before practice Monday, and the team confirmed the decision publicly on October 5.
Ovechkin said he and his family made the decision over the summer and that he wanted his teammates to hear it from him first. The announcement turns his 22nd NHL season into a farewell year for one of hockey’s defining players.
Ovechkin’s Final Season Marks the End of an NHL Era
At 41, Ovechkin enters the season as the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer with 929 career goals. He passed Wayne Gretzky’s long-standing goals record in April 2025, adding a historic milestone to a career already tied closely to the Capitals.
Washington selected Ovechkin first overall in the 2004 NHL Draft. He has spent his entire NHL career with the franchise and helped lead it to its first Stanley Cup in 2018. For more than two decades, his scoring and personality have shaped the team’s identity.
Why He Told Teammates First
Ovechkin shared the news with the Capitals before making it public, giving the people he plays beside the first chance to hear the decision directly. The announcement came ahead of Washington’s first home game of the season.
That timing gives fans a full season to appreciate his final appearances. Games in Washington and around the league are likely to carry added attention as his career draws to a close.
The Capitals Still Have a Season to Play
The retirement news changes the emotional stakes, but Ovechkin and the Capitals still have competitive goals. In his message to teammates, he focused on enjoying the year and accomplishing something together.
If Washington remains in the playoff race, its captain’s final campaign will have a story beyond the farewell ceremonies. Each goal and game now adds to the closing chapter of a career that helped define an NHL era.
What Happens Next
Ovechkin has said the 2026-27 season will be his final NHL season. He has not finished playing yet: the Capitals have a full schedule ahead, and how their season unfolds remains unknown.
For fans, the announcement means that every remaining home appearance and road game will be part of a season-long goodbye to the league’s leading goal scorer.
