Alex Ovechkin Announces 2026-27 Will Be His Final NHL Season, Closing In On Gretzky’s Last Record

Alex Ovechkin told his Washington Capitals teammates on Monday morning that the 2026-27 season will be his last in the NHL, closing the book on one of the most decorated careers in league history. The announcement came 21 years to the day after his NHL debut, and two days before the Capitals’ home opener against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The 41-year-old captain, who already holds the NHL’s all-time goal-scoring record, gathered his team before practice to deliver the news in person rather than let it leak out. “My family and I decided this summer that this will be my final year in the NHL,” Ovechkin said in a statement released by the team. “I love this game so much, but I know in my heart it’s the right decision.” He said he wanted teammates and fans to hear it directly from him before puck drop on a new season, adding that he planned to “enjoy every moment” with his family, his sons, the fans and everyone who shaped his career.

A Farewell Message in the Capitals Locker Room

In a video the Capitals posted to social media, Ovechkin addressed the room directly. “Good morning guys. This is going to be my last year,” he said. “It’s sad. But you know it is what it is. We have an unbelievable team this year and 82 games left. Let’s make the playoffs, let’s have fun and enjoy the moment because times fly.” He told younger players to soak in every moment of the grind, noting it felt like only yesterday that he was the rookie in the room. “It seems like yesterday I was here my first year and right now this is my 22nd year,” he said. “It goes like this.” Veteran winger Tom Wilson, who has shared 14 of Ovechkin’s 22 seasons in Washington, was the first teammate to embrace him once the room absorbed the news.

Ovechkin enters this farewell season with 929 regular-season goals, a mark he built after passing Wayne Gretzky’s long-standing record of 894 on April 6, 2025, against the New York Islanders. He has added 77 playoff goals on top of that, giving him 1,006 combined regular-season and postseason goals for his career — second all-time behind only Gretzky’s 1,016. That leaves Ovechkin just 10 goals shy of tying the Great One’s combined record and 11 away from claiming it outright, a chase that will now play out across what both player and franchise have confirmed is his final NHL ride.

What Comes Next for the Capitals Captain

The timing of the announcement was deliberate. Ovechkin said it was important to make the decision public before Washington’s home opener Wednesday night against Crosby and the Penguins, giving him the chance to publicly thank “all the people around the game” who helped him through “good times and tough losses” over more than two decades in the league. The Capitals and Ovechkin have also launched a season-long charitable campaign tied to his final year, with new initiatives tied to causes meaningful to him and his family set to roll out on the eighth of every month through the rest of the regular season.

On the ice, the farewell tour adds another layer of intrigue to Washington’s season. Ovechkin’s pursuit of Gretzky’s combined goals record figures to be one of the sport’s defining storylines all year, with bettors and fans tracking every milestone alongside the Capitals’ push for a playoff spot. Fans looking to follow the chase can find real-time lines and DraftKings promo code offers for Washington’s remaining schedule as the countdown toward 1,016 continues. Washington opens its home slate Wednesday against a Penguins team and a Crosby rivalry that has defined much of Ovechkin’s career, setting an emotional backdrop for the start of his final campaign in front of the Capital One Arena crowd that has watched him become the most prolific goal-scorer the sport has ever seen.