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 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 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 Nicklas Backstrom, and helped them win the Stanley Cup for the first time 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. But after getting one assist in four playoff games in a first-round loss to the New York Rangers last season, he acknowledged he might not be able to continue playing because of his back.

The Capitals announced Sept. 18 that Oshie would begin this season on LTIR after taking his training camp physical.

“The last season was challenging for me, my family, and my teammates as I dealt with a chronic back injury that kept me out of the lineup,” Oshie said in a statement at the time. “I have used the offseason to explore and pursue long-term solutions for my injury. I remain committed to the process and am working and doing my best to regain total health. In the meantime, I will continue to help and support my teammates and the organization in any way I can. I greatly appreciate all of our fans’ support during this time.”