T.J. Oshie, U.S. Olympic star in Sochi and Capitals Stanley Cup champion, announces he's retiring
USA forward T.J. Oshie reacts after scoring the winning goal in a shootout against Russia during overtime of a men's ice hockey game at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2014, in Sochi, Russia. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)
WASHINGTON — T.J. Oshie, who scored four shootout goals for the U.S. to beat host Russia at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and helped the Washington Capitals win the Stanley Cup in 2018, announced Monday he is retiring after playing 16 NHL seasons.
Oshie shared his news in front of hundreds of fans gathered at the fountains at Washington Harbour in Georgetown, seven years to the day of one of the most memorable Cup celebrations in hockey history when he and several teammates jumped into the fountains and took a dip.
President of hockey operations Brian MacLellan, general manager Chris Patrick, coach Spencer Carbery and longtime teammates Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson came out to support Oshie as he called it a career.
'My only contribution was that this could be a good day and place to have (the ceremony),' Oshie said, adding, 'I can't thank the Caps enough. Another first-class move by them to have my retirement here, invite all the people out. It really made this day special.'
The announcement had been expected for quite some time, with Oshie's contract expiring. The 38-year-old did not play this past season because of a nagging back injury that sidelined him off and on, going on long-term injured reserve instead.
Oshie said in the spring of 2024 he would only return to the Capitals if he found a permanent solution or fix to the issue. His final game was at home on April 28 last year against the New York Rangers, a 4-2 loss in the first round that eliminated Washington in a sweep.
'I was fully prepared that could be my last game: I got the pictures taken of me taking off the skates to prove it,' Oshie said. 'I hadn't thought too much about (the end), 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, actually saying the words out loud at the podium with my family in front of me and the Caps organization, my teammates, all my close friends, it was emotional.'
Taken 24th in the 2005 draft by St. Louis, Oshie played 1,116 regular-season and playoff games in the league with the Blues and Capitals since making his debut in 2008. He had 336 goals and 428 assists for 764 points, including 21 points during Washington's Cup run.
Oshie made an international name for himself at the Olympics, earning the nickname 'T.J. Sochi' for going 4 for 6 in shootout attempts against Sergei Bobrovsky during the U.S.-Russia preliminary round game in that tournament.
'I like to think that when I was playing, that I was playing for my teammates, for my coaches, for my family, for my fans. I rarely thought about my own accolades,' Oshie said. 'To be remembered (as a 'warrior' type of player) is a huge honor because that was my goal and the way I played the game.'
In the NHL, his biggest impact came after he was traded from the Blues to the Capitals in 2015. Oshie took on an immediate leadership role as a key addition to the core of Alex Ovechkin, Backstrom and Carlson, helping the team make the playoffs in eight of his nine seasons in the nation's capital.
'I'll be the first to give credit to my teammates, because without them, I was nowhere near good enough to do it without a group like that,' Oshie said.
Oshie's 76 power-play goals in D.C. are the fifth most in franchise history. He scored 49 times in the shootout, tied for third all time since it was implemented in 2005.
Article by Sammi Silber.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
Experts expect close, intense Game 4 of Stanley Cup Final after Oilers' Game 3 meltdown
The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers had 140 penalty minutes in Monday night's Stanley Cup Final game. Nicole Weisberg reports on the "penalty chaos." You know that messy, penalty-filled and seemingly unhinged third period of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night? The one in which several Edmonton Oilers players fought their Florida Panthers rivals in a good, old-fashioned line brawl, took a bazillion penalties which saw a bunch of them ejected from the eventual 6-1 Panthers win to put them up two games to one? It's a good thing, Oilers fans. The whole thing bodes well for the team and for hopes of a close, intense battle in Thursday's Game 4, say a former Oiler and a sports psychologist. 'If you lose a game, it's better to lose 6-1 than a close one, because the way that (the Oilers) lost, they're going to be so upset about it that they're going to respond much stronger than (if it was) a close game,' Georges Laraque – who played seven seasons for them, including the 2005-06 campaign that saw them make a run to Game 7 of the Cup final, and who remains a fan favourite – told CTV News Edmonton on Tuesday. Oilers practice Edmonton Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse, left, looks up ice during practice at the NHL Stanley Cup final in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (Nathan Denette/THE CANADIAN PRESS) 'Big Georges,' now a radio show host in Montreal who often returns to Edmonton, said he expects Game 4 to be close and that the Oilers will play much more disciplined than in the penalty-filled Game 3, in which the Oilers took 85 minutes in penalties and gave the Panthers 11 power plays, three of which led to Florida goals. What Laraque saw on Monday late in the game, when five Oilers received misconducts and were ejected from the rest of the game, was a team collectively preparing mentally for the next one. Panthers vs. Oilers Linesman Trent Knorr gets between Florida Panthers' Sam Bennett (top) and Edmonton Oilers' Trent Frederic during the third period in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final in Sunrise, Fla., on Monday, June 9, 2025. (Nathan Denette/THE CANADIAN PRESS) 'If it's a close game ... you're not going to see that because it's a one-goal game, but often in the playoffs, if a game is getting out of hand like it was (Monday), then at the end of the game, things will always happen,' he said. 'It's just to show that, 'You know what? We care, and we're going to come back strong.'' Ben Sereda, a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport and Recreation at the University of Alberta in the area of sport and performance psychology, said Tuesday the way in which the Oilers lost, featuring a lopsided score and several penalties, can be used to their advantage, 'whether that's anger, whether that's frustration, that extra little drive, that extra little bit of fuel that can be used to sharpen focus, to be more disciplined, but also give your body that extra little step.' 'I really saw ... (a) deep investment that was reflected,' Sereda told CTV News Edmonton. 'They are experiencing such a high level of emotion because they care so much.' Panthers vs. Oilers Florida Panthers' Carter Verhaeghe (23) scores on Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) as Evan Bouchard (2) defends during the first period in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final in Sunrise, Fla., on Monday, June 9, 2025. (Nathan Denette/THE CANADIAN PRESS) He said one of the keys to Game 4 for Edmonton is that they have a significant amount of experience coming back from adversity in the playoffs. This year, the Oilers overcame a two-games-to-none deficit to beat the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the post-season. Last year, they faced elimination by the Vancouver Canucks but won the final two games of their best-of-seven second-round series to win it. And, also last year, they tried to pull off the near-impossible – come back from being down three games to none in the Stanley Cup Final against these same Panthers – and ended up short by one game. 'If it's a close game ... you're not going to see that because it's a one-goal game, but often in the playoffs, if a game is getting out of hand like it was (Monday), then at the end of the game, things will always happen.' — Georges Laraque 'They've been through, even in this series, really tough losses,' Sereda said. 'With that in mind, and thinking back to the past few rounds, to past years, they've been able to bounce back. They've proven to themselves that they can effectively do it ... 'Drawing on that experience and hopefully having a little bit more distance from (Monday's) game will hopefully allow them to prepare more objectively and effectively.' Laraque, Toskala, Georges San Jose Sharks goalie Vesa Toskala (left) watches the puck as teammate Josh Georges gets knocked over by Edmonton Oilers Georges Laraque (right) during first period NHL Western Conference semi-final action in Edmonton Friday May 12, 2006. (Chuck Stoody/The Canadian Press) Laraque said 'it's crucial' the Oilers win Game 4 in Sunrise, Fla., and expects they will. 'They're going to be disciplined, and they'll do everything to come back with the win,' he said. '(For) Game 4, knowing how important that it is, I think the Oilers will raise their level of play, and they have a really good road record in the playoffs this year. 'They know what they have to do.' With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nicole Weisberg
CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
Forward Adam Klapka, Calgary Flames agree to two-year contract extension
The Anaheim Ducks' Radko Gudas, bottom, checks the Calgary Flames' Adam Klapka in Calgary on April 3, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh The Calgary Flames have signed forward Adam Klapka to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of US$1.25 million. Klapka, six-foot-eight and 235 pounds, had six goals and four assists and 29 penalty minutes in 31 games for the Flames this past season. The 24-year-old Czech spent the rest of the season with the AHL's Wranglers, where he had 14 goals and 12 assists in 33 games. Klapka had three goals and three assists in Calgary's final nine games of the regular season, while delivering a team-high 32 hits in April. A right-handed shot, Klapka averaged 12 minutes 43 seconds of ice time per game in the NHL this past season. Klapka also represented Czechia at the men's world championship in May when he scored twice and had an assist in five games. Calgary signed him as a free agent May 16, 2022. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2025.
Globe and Mail
5 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Deadlocked NBA finals move to Indianapolis for Game 3
The Oklahoma City Thunder showed their bounce-back capability in Game 2. The Indiana Pacers know they better do the same in Game 3. The NBA finals resume Wednesday night with the series tied at a game apiece, the matchup shifting to Indianapolis for Game 3 and what will be the first finals game in that city in 25 years. And the Pacers know it's on them to respond after Game 2 wasn't much of a contest. It's obviously possible: The Pacers haven't lost back-to-back games in three months, going 9-0 after losses in that span. This would be a good time for them to extend that run. 'Biggest game of the year,' Pacers forward Pascal Siakam said. That's technically accurate when said before any finals game, but it does ring especially true in this case. Indiana did what it had to do in Oklahoma City; it got a win and stole home-court advantage. Win three games at home over the next week or so, and the Pacers will be NBA champions. Lose any game at home, and the Thunder get the edge right back. But the Pacers have shown a penchant for resiliency. It's much like how Oklahoma City is 17-2 after losses this season (or 18-2, if counting the NBA Cup final); the latest bounce-back effort for the Thunder came in Game 2 after Indiana won Game 1 of the finals. 'I think that we try not to dwell on things,' Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said. 'As NBA players, just as basketball players in general, it's easy to make a mistake and dwell on it, give up a bucket or whatever. I feel like we do a great job of getting to the next play.' When the finals are tied 1-1, the Game 3 winner eventually wins the title 80.5 per cent of the time. It's a big, big game and everybody knows the stakes. 'I think we just have to keep finding ways to get better as a group,' Thunder guard and NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'If we continue to do that, we'll be just fine. If we've struggled in an area, that's an area we can get better at. We have to attack that opportunity. I think Game 3 is a perfect example of that.' Haliburton's status Haliburton was limping after Game 2 and acknowledged there's an issue with his lower leg. He didn't offer much in the way of details, and it doesn't matter. He's playing. 'He practised. He went through everything,' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. 'I know he has some discomfort. He feels it. But each day it's getting better. I don't think you're going to hear him making a big deal out of it. This is the time of year where it just doesn't get any better than this.' Pacers at home The Thunder have a big home-court edge thanks to their crowd at Paycom Center. The Pacers are hoping for just as much energy – if not more – from their crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Games 3 and 4. And the Thunder know what's coming. 'That's one thing we have to be ready for coming in here, is understand they're going to be playing with a lot of energy,' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. 'They play very well here. They play very comfortable here. We've got to level up to that if we want to give ourselves a chance to compete.' Long time coming Indiana's Myles Turner has played in 346 games at home with the Pacers, including playoffs – by far more than anyone else on the team. No. 347 will be his first there in the NBA Finals. 'I think the city's been waiting for an opportunity like this. I expect a hell of an environment [Wednesday],' Turner said. 'I know it's going to be. It's exciting times for everybody, just to experience the finals in Indianapolis.' Thunder in the first half The Thunder won the first and second quarters in Games 1 and 2, taking a 12-point halftime lead in Game 1 and an 18-point halftime lead in Game 2. Indiana knows that can't keep happening. Oklahoma City is 63-9 with halftime leads this season. 'Obviously it's going to be a different challenge coming on the road,' Thunder guard Alex Caruso said. 'This place will be rowdy. They'll be excited to cheer on their team. For us, I think just sticking with the details of the stuff that we've talked about as a team that are important to win the game.' Winning on the road Road teams are still winning at about a 44-per-cent clip in these playoffs, which is on pace to be the best record in 30 years. Entering Wednesday, road teams are 35-44 in this postseason. Teams won road games at a 45 per cent clip in 1995. That doesn't count the 2020 COVID-19 'bubble' playoffs, where everybody was in one spot at Lake Buena Vista, Florida and the 'road' winning percentage was .518 – 43-40. Oklahoma City is 4-3 on the road in these playoffs. Indiana is 7-3. The best league-wide road record for a playoff season was in 1966 – 14-13, a .519 winning percentage.
