Alex Ovechkin Announces Retirement at End of Season, Here's When to Watch the Capitals Legend One Last Time in Winnipeg

On Monday, Washington Capitals legend Alex Ovechkin announced that he will retire at the end of this season, setting up a final lap around the league for one of the greatest players the game has seen.

The announcement will effectively turn the 2026-27 season into a retirement tour for the league's all-time leading goal scorer. As has happened in other sports when a star reveals it will be his last year, each of Ovechkin's final stops around the league figures to be a memorable occasion, and that includes Winnipeg. 

Jets fans will have to be patient, as the Capitals do not visit Winnipeg until March 5, which will be the last chance for the city to see Ovechkin play in person. The 41-year-old Russian winger has faced the Jets/Atlanta Thrashers franchise 77 times in his career and has been a constant thorn in its side, scoring 58 goals and adding 46 assists for 104 points in those games.

He has had some memorable moments against Winnipeg along the way like Christmas in 2022, when on December 22, Ovechkin scored his 802nd career goal. The Jets stayed on the ice after the game to congratulate him, even though they were downed in a 4-1 defeat. With his decision now public, attention turns to how Ovechkin and the Capitals will spend his final season, and how the city of Winnipeg will say goodbye.

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