As a Washington native, it was a dream-come-true for TJ Oshie when he started his Washington Capitals journey in 2015. And staying there meant so much to him that he would outright reject the chance to be on UFA in 2017. Eight years later, as the 38-year-old has decided to hang up his skates on June 10, an old throwback moment of the star right-winger has emerged on social media. It involves his dad and an emotional TJ Oshie, for whom staying at Washington became all worth it on June 7, 2018.

Just 1 year after renewing with the Capitals, TJ Oshie became a Stanley Cup winner. It was not only his first, but also the franchise’s only Stanley Cup win. After beating the Vegas Golden Knights 4-1 in the series, Alex Ovechkin and co. were on top of the NHL ladder for the first time in 43 years. NBC4 Sports shared a clip on June 9 where we see the Capitals’ celebration in full flow.

And reporter Lindsay Czarniak was with TJ Oshie, who was completely overwhelmed by the weight of that amazing moment. When she asked him who that win was for, the Capitals forward somehow collected his thoughts to share, “Oh, here we go. Um, sorry, this win. Oh, um, sorry. It’s gotta be  for my family, my two little girls. Uh, I got my name on something now, so they’ll know that dad played hockey when they grow up.”

Tears of joy kept interrupting his flow as he told this Stanley Cup win was for his dad: “Oh man, sorry, um, for my dad, who has Alzheimer’s. His memory’s slipping a little these days. I think this is one memory that, uh, it’s one memory that I don’t think he’s gonna forget.” Tim Oshie was there in the T-Mobile Arena when his son would become a Stanley Cup Champion. And he came down on the ice to rightfully hold the Stanley Cup with his son.

TJ Oshie’s dad, who was called ‘Coach’ by everyone in the hockey world, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2012. And it had been a battle for him all the way, but his son had made him proud. After the win, TJ Oshie would further share, “What a great human being. What a great man. What a great father. Some things slip his memory these days. But this one, I think this one’s going to be seared in there. I don’t think any disease is going to take this one away from him.”

Oshie’s hockey story started when he was 4. As he got good in the game and there was a prospect of him having a successful career in the sport, his dad would relocate to Warroad, Minnesota, in 2002 to help Oshie play NCAA Division I hockey. TJ Oshie had played 3 years at the University of North Dakota before turning pro in 2008. The rest, as we know, is 16 amazing years in the NHL.

In 2025, the right-winger walks away from hockey with a stellar legacy that extends to the international arena.

TJ Oshie is not just a Washington Capitals beloved

The 38-year-old’s NHL career spans across 2 teams – first, the St. Louis Blues from 2008 to 2015. And then, he played for 9 seasons in his hometown club, scoring 192 goals and 193 assists in 567 regular-season games. In total, he has played 1,010 regular-season games, getting 302 goals and 393 assists. And that made him the 62nd US-born player to reach 1,000 NHL games.

His all-out style of play immediately made him a fan favorite at the Capitals, not to mention that he was their home boy. In total, TJ Oshie had played 106 playoff games, scoring 34 goals and 35 assists. Joining up with Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, he led the top line for years. His Stanley Cup celebrations involved the fans joining him and the team, and on June 9, as he bid adieu to all this, the fans were again there for his farewell ceremony.

Oshie pointed that out in his speech as reported by NHL.com: “It shows how much the fans mean to us, how big a part they are to our success and today’s no different, how big a part they are in my retirement celebration.” Away from the NHL, the fans will also remember Oshie for his heroics in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. He scored 4 goals in 6 attempts to help the USA get a memorable 3-2 shootout win against Russia.

As the veteran steps away from the limelight, the Capitals prepare for a big 2025 offseason under award-winning coach Spencer Carbery.