Alex Ovechkin to retire after 2026-27 NHL season
publishers 25articles 28first reported 5 Oct, 15:16 UTCdeveloping since 5 Oct · 8 editions
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin announced Monday that he will retire after the 2026-27 season, ending an NHL career spanning 22 seasons, all with Washington.
Ovechkin, 41, first told his teammates in the locker room before the Capitals shared his decision publicly. He said he and his family reached the decision during the summer and wanted to announce it before Washington’s first home game.
“I love this game so much, but I know in my heart it’s the right decision,” Ovechkin said in a statement. Addressing his teammates, he urged them to enjoy the season and “do some special things this year.”
The Russian left wing enters his final season as the NHL’s career goals leader with 929, having surpassed Wayne Gretzky’s regular-season record in April 2025. He also holds the league record with 141 game-winning goals and has recorded 759 assists.
Washington selected Ovechkin with the first overall pick in the 2004 NHL draft. Since debuting in 2005, he has won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year, three Hart trophies as the league’s most valuable player and led the NHL in scoring nine times. In 2018, he captained the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup championship and received the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 3 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 24 h after the record first saw the story; the editor revised it.
- Publishers
- 25
- Source articles
- 28
- Given to the writer
- 8, 3 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 24 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- revised
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and changed it before publication. Struck words were in the draft; underlined words are its corrections.
WHAT IT FLAGGED editor revise: One career-achievement detail should be corrected to match the source wording. - "nine goal-scoring titles": The provided sources say Ovechkin led the NHL in scoring nine times; they do not say he won nine goal-scoring titles.
THE DRAFT AND THE CHANGES
Alex Ovechkin to retire after 2026-27 NHL season
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin announced Monday that he will retire after the 2026-27 season, ending an NHL career spanning 22 seasons, all with Washington.
Ovechkin, 41, first told his teammates in the locker room before the Capitals shared his decision publicly. He said he and his family reached the decision during the summer and wanted to announce it before Washington’s first home game.
“I love this game so much, but I know in my heart it’s the right decision,” Ovechkin said in a statement. Addressing his teammates, he urged them to enjoy the season and “do some special things this year.”
The Russian left wing enters his final season as the NHL’s career goals leader with 929, having surpassed Wayne Gretzky’s regular-season record in April 2025. He also holds the league record with 141 game-winning goals and has recorded 759 assists.
Washington selected Ovechkin with the first overall pick in the 2004 NHL draft. Since debuting in 2005, he has won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year, three Hart trophies as the league’s most valuable player and led the NHL in scoring nine goal-scoring titles.times. In 2018, he captained the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup championship and received the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
Written by a language model from the sources above, then checked by a second model that may only cut, attribute or correct. How it works →