Published 6 hours ago • loading... • Updated 12 minutes ago
Alex Ovechkin Tells Teammates This Is His Final Season
The 41-year-old said he decided with his family this summer after breaking Wayne Gretzky’s career goal record and signing a one-year deal.
On Monday, 41-year-old Alex Ovechkin announced the 2026-27 season will be his final NHL campaign, sharing the news with Washington Capitals teammates first in a team-posted video.
Ovechkin signed a one-year deal worth up to $9 million in July with a $4.25 million cap hit to return for his 22nd season, entering this final year with 929 career goals after surpassing Wayne Gretzky's all-time record in April 2025.
The Moscow native won three Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award titles, nine Maurice Rocket Richard Trophies, and earned the Art Ross Trophy, Calder Trophy, and Mark Messier Leadership Award while helping the Capitals win the Stanley Cup in 2018.
In his locker room address, Ovechkin said, "It's hard, but let's enjoy it and let's do some special things this year," emphasizing his focus on making the playoffs with his teammates.
Representing Russia three times at the Winter Olympics and 13 times at the World Championship, Ovechkin won gold medals in 2008, 2012, and 2014, solidifying his legacy as a Hall of Famer.
Russian hockey player Alexander Ovechkin announced that the current season would be the final season in his career in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Russian assailant Washington Capitals announced that the season would be his last in the National Hockey League, and that it would be RIA News. "This will be my last year. It's sad, but it is. We have an incredible team this year. We have 82 games left, let's go to playoffs, play well and enj…