Alex Ovechkin will be back for his age-41 season with the Washington Capitals.
While the legendary winger, who is 40 years and 330 days old as of Thursday, may be “unc” in Washington’s growing-younger locker room, he still will not be the oldest player in the NHL.
Brent Burns (41y, 157d) will hold that mantle as he plays his 23rd year in the league with the Colorado Avalanche.
In fact, Ovechkin won’t be the second-oldest either, as that title lands with Corey Perry (41y, 89d) of the Los Angeles Kings.
Top 10 oldest players in NHL during 2026-27 season
| Player | Team | Age |
|---|---|---|
| Brent Burns | COL | 41y, 157d |
| Corey Perry | LAK | 41y, 89d |
| Alex Ovechkin | WSH | 40y, 330d |
| Evgeni Malkin | PIT | 40y, 13d |
| Kris Letang | PIT | 39y, 111d |
| Sidney Crosby | PIT | 39y, 6d |
| Mats Zuccarello | LAK | 38y, 346d |
| Nick Foligno | MIN | 38y, 286d |
| Claude Giroux | OTT | 38y, 213d |
| Brad Marchand | FLA | 38y, 94d |
Burns, Perry, Ovechkin, and Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin will be the only players to start the year at least 40 years old. The Penguins have three players in the top-10 oldest under contract for next season, with Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby joining Malkin.
Washington’s elder statesman is no stranger to bucking age-related trends. Just this past season, Ovechkin became the sixth oldest player in NHL history to score a hat trick when he put three goals past the Montreal Canadiens. He improved his standing in that regard months later when he notched another hat trick against the Utah Mammoth.
In doing so, Ovechkin became only the third player in NHL history to record two hat tricks in the same season at age 40 or older, joining Johnny Bucyk (1975-76) and Gordie Howe (1968-69).
During his age-36 campaign, Ovi also became the oldest player in league history to score 50 goals in a season, eclipsing a record held by Bucyk for over 50 years. That same season, he also broke Teemu Selanne’s record (48) for most goals in a season by a player 36 or older.
The Capitals have progressively gotten younger over the past few years, entering the season with an average age of 28.46, the 15th-oldest in the NHL. After Ovechkin, the oldest player on the Capitals will likely be Justin Holl (34) or Dylan McIlrath (34).
S/T to B/R Open Ice
