Oshie retires from NHL after 16 seasons, last played for Capitals

WASHINGTON -- T.J. Oshie announced his retirement after 16 NHL seasons at an event held at the Washington Harbour on Monday.

The 38-year-old forward spent this season on long-term injured reserve for the Washington Capitals because of a chronic back injury. It was the last of an eight-year, $46 million contract ($5.75 million average annual value) he signed with the Capitals on June 23, 2017.

Oshie was accompanied by his wife, Lauren; daughters Lyla, Leni and Lucy, and his son, Campbell. His mother, Tina, was on hand with his sisters Tawni and Aleah and brother Taylor. Capitals teammates John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom were also in attendance along with coach Spencer Carbery, general manager Chris Patrick and team president Brian MacLellan.

The ceremony was held at the waterfront by fountains, where seven years earlier to the day, Oshie celebrated the Capitals’ first Stanley Stanley Cup championship.

Oshie said those two events at this location were “both emotional in different ways. So far, there’s been a lot less alcohol involved.

"But it really comes full circle because we were sitting right up here maybe," he continued, pointing to the outdoor seating at a nearby restaurant. "And that’s when I decided we should start doing the keg stands or the Cup stands, as we called it, and made sure [Washington captain Alex Ovechkin] was the first one to go. And it was hot, and they weren’t getting enough beer to us, and we needed to cool off. And I was like, ‘Boys, I’m going in the fountain. Who’s coming with me?' And me and (forward) Tom [Wilson] grabbed as many guys as we could and we were like, ‘We’re going swimming. Let’s go.’

“We did all that with the fans around us and then the fans eventually came in the fountain with us. So, it shows how much the fans mean to us, how big a part they are to our success and today’s no different, how big a part they are in my retirement celebration.”

Asked whose idea it was to have the announcement at the waterfront, he said, “There was a lot going on here and my only contribution was that this could be a good day and place to have it. So, it was fitting that everyone was able to make it and (Capitals senior vice president of communications and broadcasting) Sergey (Kocharov) was able to make everything work. I can’t thank the Caps enough. Another first-class move by them to have my retirement here, invite all the people out, get all the cameras here, how good they’ve been to my family and friends, setting them. So, to all the people working behind the scenes, they made this day very special.”

Oshie had 695 points (302 goals, 393 assists) in 1,010 NHL regular-season games with the St. Louis Blues and Washington, and 69 points (34 goals, 35 assists) in 106 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He scored at least 20 goals six times, including an NHL career-high 33 in 68 games in 2016-17, when he tied Alex Ovechkin for the Capitals lead.

A native of Everett, Washington, who moved to Warroad, Minnesota, in 2002 to play high school hockey, Oshie was selected by the Blues in the first round (No. 24) of the 2005 NHL Draft. He played three seasons with the University of North Dakota before turning pro in 2008.

Oshie had 310 points (110 goals, 200 assists) in 443 regular-season games over seven seasons with St. Louis before being traded to Washington on July 2, 2015, for a third-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, forward Troy Brouwer and goalie Pheonix Copley.

By then, Oshie was already well-known for scoring four times on six attempts for the United States in a memorable 3-2 shootout win against Ovechkin and Russia at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. He quickly became a fan favorite with the Capitals playing on their top line with Ovechkin and Backstrom, and helped them win the Cup in 2018 when he had 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 24 playoff games.

Oshie had 385 points (192 goals, 193 assists) in 567 regular-season games with Washington. His all-out style of play that defied his size (6-foot, 187 pounds) caught up to him later in his career, though, and he struggled to stay healthy, particularly because of his back. He was limited to 44 games in 2021-22, 58 in 2022-23 and 52 last season, when he had 25 points (12 goals, 13 assists).

Oshie still managed to become the 62nd United States-born player to reach 1,000 NHL games against the Vancouver Canucks on March 16, 2024. He had one assist in four playoff games in a first-round loss to the New York Rangers last season, and said Monday that he knew the Capitals’ season-ending 4-2 loss in Game 4 was likely his final game. Still, saying the words, “I’d like to officially announce my retirement,” brought a finality to his career.

“I think probably the last time I was emotional about it was in the locker room after the game,” Oshie said. “I was fully prepared that could be my last game and I got the pictures taken of me taking my skates off to prove it. … But I really haven’t thought too much about it, honestly, besides that moment. Even before that moment, knowing how tough it was on really the whole team with me what I was going through, but actually saying the words out loud at the podium with my family in front of me and the Caps organization and my teammates, all my close friends, it was emotional and I’m so glad that it’s over.”