TJ Oshie officially hung up his skates on Monday after playing 16 seasons in the NHL.
Oshie, emotional at times, made his remarks at the Washington Harbour on the seven-year anniversary of the Capitals swimming in fountains to celebrate their first Stanley Cup championship. Capitals teammates Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson were in attendance to show support, as well as Spencer Carbery, Brian MacLellan, and Chris Patrick.
The 38-year-old former forward notched 695 points (302g, 393a) in 1,010 games played. Chronic back issues forced Oshie on long-term injured reserve for the entire 2024-25 season — his final year under contract with the Washington Capitals — and eventually into retirement.
Transcript of TJ Oshie’s speech
TJ Oshie: Seven years ago today, me and my teammates were swimming in that fountain, celebrating an amazing time in our careers.
First of all, I’m gonna be reading most of this, so I’m sorry if my head’s down. It’s a little long. I got a little choked up just hearing these guys talk about me, so maybe I’ll shorten it up as we get going, so I can get through it, but…
Thank you all for being here today. This moment is bittersweet, but I’m filled with gratitude as I reflect on an incredible journey. I want to take you through my career and those who shaped me into the player and person I am today.
(Oshie begins crying)
Man, that’s already starting – here we go.
I was fortunate to have two loving parents who did everything they could so I could live out my dreams of being a professional athlete. You never forced me into anything, but instead supported me and encouraged me to follow my dreams, calling me your little superstar even before I could skate. It wasn’t until I had my own kids that I truly appreciated what amazing parents you are.
To my mom, Tina, and Coach Osh, up in heaven, I love you and thank you.
To my brother Taylor and sister Tawni, thank you for all the road trips you endured, the long days at the rink, field, or gym, and the time in the stands, cheering me on. Tawn, no one has a bigger heart as you. And Dick, you’re one hell of a caddy.
To my sister Aleah, thank you for always supporting me through my college and NHL career. Even though you weren’t under the same roof, I always knew you were there cheering me on every step of the way. I’m very proud to be your guys’ big brother. I love you.
To my in-laws, Dave, Lynn, John, and Alex, along with Anna, Will, and little Mackie, thank you for your support of me, Lauren, and the kids. You very frequently put your lives on hold to help us with everything that goes into raising a family of six, and it doesn’t go unnoticed. Thank you, and I love you.
To the Seattle Junior Hockey Association, in particular my youth coach Mike Murphy, thank you for giving me my start in hockey.
To the city of Warroad, or Hockey Town, USA, as we call it, thank you for welcoming me into your tight-knit community. You sparked my love for the game of hockey and I can’t think of a better place for me to grow up.
To my Warroad teammates Kyle Hardwick, Eric Olimb, Josh Brodeen, Ben Bengtson, Tony Selvog, and Gabe Harren, you made me feel at home in Warroad. Winning two state championships together felt like it couldn’t get any better. Thank you for taking me in.
And my Warroad coach, Cary Eades, your support of my family and your strict guidance helped not only my game, but my academics, eventually leading me into a full scholarship at the University of North Dakota.
At North Dakota, I was fortunate to have some amazing coaches: Dave Hakstol, Brad Berry, Dane Jackson, and again, Cary Eades. You provided structure to my raw ability and lit a fire under me competitively.
I’ll never forget Dave Hakstol pulling me into his office, complimenting my skill, but emphasizing that hard work ethic is a skill too, and that I can inspire my teammates with it. Those words stuck with me my entire career.
My college teammates, I’ll only name a few: Chris Porter, Brad Miller, Taylor Chorney, a former Capital, Ryan Duncan, Jonathan Toews, Brad Malone, Evan Trupp, Matt Frattin, and many others. We share a bond that will last a lifetime. Those times in the dorms and locker rooms sharing stories and having the time of our lives are memories I’ll always cherish.
We got my agent here today, Matt Oates, with O2K. You, Dean Grillo, and the rest of the team were amazing, and thank you for your guidance throughout my career. You went above and beyond what an agency is supposed to do for a player, helping me through tough times with family, and helping an immature kid navigate life and become a man. What agent plays Words With Friends with his client for 15 years straight? It’s unbelievable. I won 80 percent of the time, by the way.
Before I got here, I was in St. Louis for seven years. I’d like to thank Larry Pleau, JD, Jarmo.
(Oshie’s speech papers fly off the lectern after a wind gust)
Whoa! That’s gonna cause a problem. I should have stapled this or something.
Sorry, St. Louis Blues. Larry Pleau, JD, and Jarmo for drafting me and believing in me. To the city of St. Louis and the fans, thank you for seven years of support I often felt I didn’t deserve. It was a privilege to play in front of you.
This will be a little bit of a theme with me, but to the Blues trainers, Ray Barile and Bert Godin, and their staffs, as well as my Blues teammates, thank you for making it fun to come into the rink every day. Special thanks to my big brother, Barrett Jackman, my partner in crime, Patrick Berglund, and many other St. Louis Blues alumni. You made those years unforgettable.
On July 2nd, 2015, I got a call from the St. Louis Blues GM, Doug Armstrong, telling me I’d been traded to the Washington Capitals. It’s great now, at the time, there was a feeling like I let down a city and an organization, being on so many good teams and never finding a way to win the Stanley Cup. I was nervous, scared. How could I leave a team of trainers, players, and fans who I love so much? I’d say that weight was with me probably for the rest of the summer. Most of that weight was lifted a couple minutes after my call with Doug Armstrong when I got a call from Capitals GM Brian MacLellan. Mac, you’re a man of few words, but in just minutes, you made me feel how excited the Capitals were to have me. Thanks for your belief in me. It changed my life.
There are so many good people in the Capitals organization, and it starts from the top. Ted Leonsis, Dick Patrick, Zach, and your families. Thank you for what you do for the DC area and the Caps. Your love for this team and this city is infectious, and we as players follow your lead.
When I stepped in the Caps locker room at training camp for the very first time, I felt at home. The coaching staff let me use every part of my game, my mind, skills, athleticism, leadership, and work ethic. I was finally freed up to just be me. Thank you, Barry Trotz, Blaine Forsythe, Lane Lambert, Todd Reirden, Brett Leonhardt, and the rest of the coaches I’ve had the privilege to work with over the last 10 years. We had a little rough patch there, but Carbs got us back on track.
Not sure if you guys have heard, Carbs, congratulations on the Jack Adams Award. Very well deserved. You and the rest of the coaching staff were awesome my last couple years, and I really appreciated it. Some of my favorite people, the staff behind the scenes. You guys never get enough credit. You’ve become some of my best friends, and I couldn’t have been prepared without you looking out for me, the boys, and our families. Thank you for all the time you spend away from your loved ones, so me and my teammates could be at our very best.
Quick story time. After my first two seasons here, I was finally heading to free agency for the first time in my career. Free agency as a player seems nice, right? You see everyone get the big raises sometimes. I don’t know, maybe you get overpaid a little bit. Enticing, but I wanted to stay. I was going in for our exit meeting after losing to the black and gold team up north. And typically, you have an exit meeting with the coach, then with the GM, and you talk about your season, the team’s season. Clearly, if you didn’t win, you’ve got to talk about ways to improve and things that could get better. I’d done eight of them already in my career, and no doubt this one would have been probably like the rest of them.
But, I wanted to do something a little different and do a small gesture to show how much I wanted to remain a Washington Capital. I got a paper towel from the bathroom and a Sharpie. And on it, I wrote something along the lines of, ‘I, TJ Oshie, hereby agree to sign an extension with the Washington Capitals for blank years at blank dollars.’ I then signed the paper and underlined a spot for Mac to put his signature in. I guess my agent might have gotten involved because those blanks were filled in with maybe a little bit more than I deserve, but the gesture was pure. I wanted to remain in Washington Capital. I wanted to stay here for a lot of reasons, but mostly because of my teammates.
Quick drink. Ginger beer.
Man, what an amazing ride we had. From Presidents’ Trophies, heartbreak losses, and the Stanley Cup, we’ve been through it all. I’ve been lucky in my life to be a part of amazing locker rooms, but the bond we have here in DC is special. It was an absolute privilege to go to war with you on the ice.
(Oshie cries)
When you read it to yourself silently, you don’t get this emotional. All right.
Thirty years from now, looking back on my career and telling my grandkids about what it was like playing in the NHL, I’ll tell them that my favorite memories was my time with you. In the locker room, dinners on the road, cards on the plane, and Mario Kart in the playoffs. Those are the times I cherish most. I got the tattoo right here to prove it.
Special shout-out to… Backy, O, John, and Tom. We’ve raised our kids together. We failed together. Cried together. Laughed together. Grieved together. And became champions together. You four have a special place in my heart. A bond reserved only for family. I consider you my brothers. Thank you for accepting me from day one and staying by my side through it all.
Caps fans. How can I ever thank you enough for your support of me and my family? Like my teammates, either at Cap One or through social, you guys have been there every step of the way. I want you to know your support is not taken for granted. I hope I’ve made you and the city proud by the way I’ve played the game.
In 2018, we celebrated in the streets together because we won the Cup together. We felt your energy and fed off of it. You can’t talk about Capitals hockey without mentioning our amazing fan base. You’re a massive piece of my career, and it was an absolute honor to play for you.
To my friends and family, a lot of you guys are over here at the bar. Some of you guys are sitting down here. It’s been incredible raising our kids together in this area. You hold a special place in our hearts, and I thank you for always supporting my career. But most importantly, my family.
Talking about people raising their kids with their family. I want to have a special thanks to the Backstrom family. The kids over here. Nick, Liza, Haley, Vince, and Alizee, it seems like we’ve been through everything together. Life will not be the same for us without our best friends living next door.
Through all of this and through all my career, I’ve had the five loves of my life at home waiting for me as I live my dream. Lauren, my beautiful wife, you’ve made me a better person and still do every day. Without you, I have a feeling my career would have been a lot shorter or at least not as successful. You took a back seat to hockey most of the time, especially in the later years, when I was grinding through injuries with little left in the tank when I got home.
Hockey usually lifted me up, but at times it tore me apart, and you were always there to put back the pieces. My last couple of seasons were hard on you, raising four kids with an injured husband at home, who was on the road half the time, playing games, and trying to get my body in a decent spot the other half. Your strength is unimaginable. You’re an incredible person, wife, and mother. Thank you, and I love you.
To Lyla, Leni, Campbell, and Lucy, there’s nothing I’m prouder of than being your dad. No game, Olympics, All-Star game, or Stanley Cup comes close. You are the very best part of me. Pops loves you more than you’ll ever know. Thank you for being the best kids a dad could ever ask for. I love you.
In conclusion, back when, in my younger years, my dad, along with the other coaches, would always put up a laminated quote on the door. The quote read, “Today I will give all I have, for this moment may never come again.” That has always stuck with me because that is the only thing I’ve ever had full control over. No amount of skill, size, or speed could control how hard I worked and whether I could give 100 percent or not. That was only up to me.
So to my family, friends, coaches, trainers, teammates, fans, and to the game of hockey, I promise you this. The moment my skates touched the ice, I gave you everything I had. With that, after 17 years in the NHL, I’d like to officially announce my retirement.
Thank you.
