Alex Ovechkin announces retirement to Capitals teammates to start 22nd season

(Photo by Katherine Gawlik/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Washington Capitals great Alex Ovechkin made it official on Monday. The 2026-2027 season will be his last one in the NHL. Ovechkin first shared the news with the rest of the Capitals in the locker room, telling the team “this is going to be my last year,” and that it was important to him and his family that his Washington teammates knew the news 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 Ovechkin then shared a lengthy statement on social media, noting that he wanted to share the news before Washington’s first home game of the season, which comes on Wednesday night when the Capitals host the Pittsburgh Penguins: From the #Gr8: pic.twitter.com/KXVdGYUs5j — Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 5, 2026 Ovechkin has appeared in both of Washington’s games this season, a win on Friday night over the Carolina Hurricanes and a loss on Saturday to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He notched an assist in Friday night’s win, racking up nearly 13 minutes of ice time, while he played almost 14 minutes in the loss to Tampa Bay on Saturday. Last season, Ovechkin surpassed the great Wayne Gretzky on the NHL’s all-time goals list, scoring the 895th goal of his career in a game against the New York Islanders in April. He currently has 929 career goals, making him the only player in NHL history to reach the 900-goal mark. Where will Ovechkin stack up among the all-time greats? Download the new SB Nation app, join our NHL community, and share your thoughts!

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