This is Ovi’s last dance.
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:
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:
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.
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Where will Ovechkin stack up among the all-time greats?
Alex Ovechkin made it official on Monday, announcing that the 2026-2027 season will be his last in the NHL.
Last year Ovechkin became the league's all-time leader in goals, surpassing the great Wayne Gretzky with his 895th goal against the New York Islanders. He currently has 929 goals, and is the only member of the 900-goal club in league history.
Where will he stack up among the greats when he finally hangs up the skates?