Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie, 38, is retiring after a 16-year NHL career in which he won a Stanley Cup and became a U.S. Olympic hero.
He had missed this past season with a back injury.
He made the tear-filled announcement at the outdoor Washington Harbour venue where he and teammates jumped into the fountains as they celebrated winning the 2018 Stanley Cup.
‘To my family, friends, coaches, trainers, teammates, fans and to the game of hockey, I promise you this, from the moment my skates touched the ice, I gave you everything I had,’ Oshie said. ‘With that … I’d like to officially announce my retirement.’
Oshie, then with the St. Louis Blues, became a household name at the 2014 Sochi Olympics when he scored on four of six attempts in the shootout as the USA beat Russia 3-2 in the preliminary round.
His prowess in shootouts – he was 7-for-10 entering the Olympics – was a frequent topic of conversation when general manager David Poile and his selection committee chose the U.S. Olympic team roster. ‘You know at some point we are going to end up in a shootout, and we are going to want T.J. Oshie,’ Poile had said.
International rules allow teams to use a player over and over in shootouts once the initial three players go. Oshie, at one point, had to score or Russia would have won. He did and then eventually got the game-deciding goal.
The performance gave him the nickname ‘T.J. Sochi.’
Oshie was traded to the Capitals in July 2015 and quickly became a fan favorite and eventual alternate captain. He scored 26 goals and 33 goals his first two seasons in Washington, respectively.
He was due to become a free agent for the first time in his career but stayed with the Capitals after signing an eight-year contract.
‘I wanted to stay here for a lot of reasons but mostly because of my teammates,’ he said during the June 9 ceremony.
In 2018, his third season with the team, Oshie and the Capitals won the franchise’s lone Stanley Cup title. He had 21 points in 24 playoff games, a league-best six power play goals and two game-winning goals. He scored twice in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals to keep the Capitals’ hopes alive.
After the Capitals beat the Vegas Golden Knights for the championship, he shared the moment on the ice with his father, Tim, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s six years earlier.
“My dad. Oh boy. He doesn’t remember a lot of stuff these days,” he told NBCSN. “But he remembers enough. I tell you what – he’s here tonight. I don’t know where he’s at. But this one will stick with him forever. You can guarantee that.”
Tim Oshie died in May 2021, and T.J. Oshie scored a hat trick in his first game back. It was one of seven hat tricks in his career.
‘Man, what an amazing ride we had,’ Oshie said. ‘From Presidents’ trophies to heartbreaking losses to the Stanley Cup, we’d been through it all. I’ve been lucky in my life to be part of some amazing locker rooms, but the bond we have here in DC is special.’
Oshie finished his career with 302 goals, 393 assists and 695 points in 1,010 career games.
He also had 49 shootout goals (tied for third overall) and 21 game-deciding shootout goals (third overall).
(This story was updated with new information.)