Alex Ovechkin confirms this will be final season before retirement

( NewsNation ) — Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin , who has scored the most goals in NHL history, announced Monday this will be his final season.

Ovechkin, 41, told his teammates the news in a video posted on the Capitals’ social media accounts. The announcement came amid reports he was considering retirement this past offseason.

“My family and I decided this summer that this will be my final year in the NHL. I love this game so much, but I know in my heart it’s the right decision,” Ovechkin said in a statement . “It was important for me to make this announcement before our first home game, so I have the chance to thank all the people around the game, everyone who has been so important to me and my family and helped me through good times and tough losses.”

He added, “I wouldn’t have been able to achieve everything I have in my life without them.”

Ovechkin became the NHL’s all-time leader on April 6, 2025, when he scored his 895th career regular-season goal, passing Wayne Gretzky. The hockey star is also the all-time leader in power-play goals (331), game-winning goals (141), overtime goals (27), road goals (476), game-opening goals (154), game-tying goals (155), go-ahead goals (297), 40-goal seasons (14), 30-goal seasons (20) and is tied for first in 50-goal seasons (9).

He led Washington to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup championship in 2018 and became the longest-tenured athlete in sports history for the nation’s capital when he began his 22nd season last week.

There’s been speculation Ovechkin could receive an unfriendly reception on the road after he appeared in an ad for a party aligned with Vladimir Putin during the offseason. But there wasn’t much sign of that during the first two games of the season — at Carolina and at Tampa Bay.

When addressing the fallout from that last month, Ovechkin confirmed he’d be going back to live in Russia after his retirement.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.