NHL schedule release day always gives Washington Capitals fans plenty of dates to circle, but this year’s calendar carries extra weight.
Earlier this month, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin signed a one-year contract to return for a 22nd season, which could be his last in the NHL. With the Capitals’ schedule now public, the dates and locations of what could be his final regular-season games with the team are now set.
If the Capitals miss the playoffs, Ovechkin’s potential final home game at Capital One Arena will come against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday, April 4. Washington will then finish the season with a three-game road trip, culminating against the Philadelphia Flyers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday, April 10.
Alex Ovechkin’s potential final home and NHL regular-season game
Home: Sunday, April 4, 2027
vs. Pittsburgh Penguins at 7 pm
Capital One Arena
Washington, DC
Away: Sunday, April 10, 2027
vs. Philadelphia Flyers at 12 pm
Xfinity Mobile Arena
Philadelphia, PA
Before signing on for another year, Ovechkin’s other previous potential final home game with the Capitals also came against the Penguins on April 12, 2026. In that game, Ovechkin and long-time rival Sidney Crosby played against one another for the 100th time, regular season and playoffs combined.
While there was a sense of finality from the home crowd that day, Ovechkin would wave off the Penguins’ attempt to do a handshake line with him at the buzzer.
The Capitals also ended the 2025-26 campaign on the road, with hordes of Caps fans making the trip to Columbus, Ohio, to watch Ovechkin play against the Blue Jackets on April 14, 2026. The Caps had learned the night prior that they would not be making the postseason, but the game, while meaningless in the standings, still held extra importance as it could have been Ovechkin’s final NHL outing.
While the two games in April 2027 may carry extra significance, every final stop on the road could also become part of an unofficial farewell tour for Ovechkin — something he has reportedly not been interested in.
“I don’t know. We’ll see how it goes,” Ovechkin said when asked about a retirement tour while speaking with Capitals media. “You can ask Ted (Leonsis) about it.”
Ovechkin also has not ruled out playing another year beyond the 2026-27 season, which may partially be an early attempt to stave off the extra attention and drama once again. He has even said he will try to score 1,000 career NHL goals, which would most likely require him to play at least two more seasons in the league.
Ovechkin, who is the NHL’s all-time goals leader, has lit the lamp 929 times, putting him 71 goals shy of the milestone mark. As a forty-year-old last season, Ovechkin scored 32 times. First and foremost, though, he has reiterated that his main objective is to win another Stanley Cup with the Capitals.
