Capitals’ Ovechkin announces he will retire after this season
by George Gerbo · The Washington TimesAlexander Ovechkin has finally decided it’s time.
The legendary Washington Capitals captain officially announced Monday that this season, his 22nd in the National Hockey League, will be his last.
“My family and I decided this summer that this will be my final year in the NHL,” the 41-year-old Ovechkin said in a statement. “I love this game so much, but I know in my heart it’s the right decision.”
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The league’s all-time leading goal scorer, with 929 and counting, Ovechkin said he wanted to make the announcement before Washington’s home opener Wednesday against Pittsburgh, “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.”
“I am excited about this season with my teammates,” he continued, “and we will do everything we can to make this year special … see you Wednesday, babes!”
He gave his teammates the news in a locker room speech Monday morning, according to the team, which posted a video of the address on social media. Ovechkin received a standing ovation from the room after his address.
The No.1 pick in the 2004 NHL draft, Ovechkin has spent his entire career in Washington, becoming one of the best professional athletes in Washington history in his two-decade-plus career. Ovechkin led the Capitals to the sport’s pinnacle in 2018, winning the franchise’s first Stanley Cup championship and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
Among his other accolades, Ovechkin has led the NHL in goals nine times across his two-decade-plus career, tallied three MVP trophies in 2008, 2009 and 2013, is a 13-time All-Star selection, and was named one of the NHL’s 100 greatest players during the league’s centennial in 2017.
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George Gerbo
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