Hockey player Alexander Ovechkin to retire from NHL after the season — The Guardian

Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin has announced that the current season, his 22nd in the NHL, will be the last of his career. The hockey player first told his teammates about his decision, and the club later published his statement on social media, The Guardian reports.

Decision after 22 seasons

Ovechkin signed a one-year contract last summer and turned 41 in September. According to him, he made the decision to end his playing career together with his family over the past few months. The hockey player said that he loves the game but considers retirement to be the right step.

In April 2025, Ovechkin surpassed Wayne Gretzky's NHL record for the number of goals. He began the current season with 929 goals. In Washington's opening game against Carolina, the forward spent just under 13 minutes on the ice — his lowest ice time in a game without an injury or penalty.

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Main achievements in Washington

Ovechkin spent his entire NHL career with the Washington Capitals, who selected him first overall in the 2004 draft. He won the Calder Trophy as the top rookie of the 2005–06 season, received the Hart Trophy three times as the league's most valuable player, and led the NHL in goals nine times.

In 2018, Ovechkin became the most valuable player of the playoffs and led the Capitals to the first Stanley Cup victory in the club's history. In the 2025–26 season, the team did not make the playoffs, but he played all 82 regular-season games and scored 32 goals. He scored at least 30 goals in every year of his career except the 2020–21 season, when he played 45 games.