LAS VEGAS — Before Alex Ovechkin became the greatest goal scorer in NHL history, he became a Stanley Cup champion on the ice at T-Mobile Arena.

For Las Vegas, that distinction carries two memories: the heartbreak of watching the Golden Knights’ remarkable inaugural season end, and the sight of one of hockey’s greatest players finally lifting the trophy that had eluded him.

Now, with Ovechkin announcing Monday that the 2026-27 season will be his last in the NHL, this city occupies a meaningful place in the farewell.

Washington is where he built his career. Las Vegas is where some of its most memorable chapters unfolded.

“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 Capitals. “I love this game so much, but I know in my heart it’s the right decision.”

The announcement came exactly 21 years after his NHL debut. At 41, the Capitals captain has 929 goals and 1,688 points in 1,575 games, with one final season to add to those totals.

On June 7, 2018, Las Vegas hosted the conclusion of two extraordinary hockey stories.

The Golden Knights had turned an expansion season into a run to the Stanley Cup Final. Ovechkin had spent 13 seasons pursuing the championship that would complete his résumé.

Washington’s 4-3 victory in Game 5 brought both journeys to their defining moment.

Ovechkin scored a second-period power-play goal, his 15th of the postseason. Vegas carried a 3-2 lead into the third before Devante Smith-Pelly tied it and Lars Eller supplied the championship-winning goal. Ovechkin received the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP and raised the Stanley Cup in the Golden Knights’ building.

For a city still discovering what NHL hockey could mean, the scene offered an unforgettable lesson in the sport’s emotional extremes. One team’s crushing ending unfolded alongside another’s long-awaited breakthrough.

That image belongs to Washington’s history, but its setting will always belong to Las Vegas.

There was another connection: George McPhee, the executive who drafted Ovechkin first overall for Washington in 2004, was Vegas’ general manager when the Capitals won that championship.

More than six years later, Ovechkin returned to T-Mobile Arena and delivered another performance that became part of his legacy.

On Nov. 17, 2024, he scored three times in Washington’s 5-2 victory over the Golden Knights.

Career goals Nos. 864, 865 and 866 made up his 31st NHL hat trick and left him 29 goals from surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894.

A power-play goal, a goal off the rush and an empty-net finish illustrated the different ways Ovechkin could punish an opponent. At 39, he was still producing nights that accelerated a chase once considered nearly impossible.

"It’s gonna stay forever," Ovechkin told The Hockey News that night. "Memories that happen here, (like) back in (2018) - it’s great.

"It was (a) pretty cool atmosphere, like always."

The Golden Knights also figured in another milestone that season. On Oct. 15, 2024, Ovechkin recorded two assists against Vegas in Washington to reach 700 for his career.

Ovechkin ultimately surpassed Gretzky on April 6, 2025, against the New York Islanders. The record fell elsewhere. Las Vegas had witnessed a memorable surge toward it.

Washington is scheduled to visit T-Mobile Arena on Jan. 30, 2027, giving Las Vegas a chance to acknowledge Ovechkin during his final NHL season.

There is still history available to him. He is 11 goals from passing Gretzky for the most combined regular-season and playoff goals, and 12 points from reaching 1,700.

His farewell will also include a season-long charitable campaign, with monthly initiatives beginning in November supporting causes central to his career.

Addressing his teammates in the locker room, Ovechkin kept his closing message focused on the season ahead.

"Let’s enjoy it and let’s do some special thing this year," he said.

Las Vegas has been part of that career in ways few visiting cities can claim.

It watched him become a champion. It watched him score three times while pursuing immortality.

When he returns, the city will have another opportunity to recognize a player whose greatest celebration remains forever tied to its ice.

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) hoists the Stanley Cup after defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in game five of the 2018 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena.