VANCOUVER – Washington Capitals alternate captain T.J. Oshie will play in his 1,000th career game tonightagainst the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena. Oshie will become the 390th skater in NHL history, the 41stactive skater and the 62nd U.S.-born skater to play 1,000 games.
The Capitals will hold a pre-game ceremony on Sunday, March 24 prior to hosting the Winnipeg Jets to honor the milestone. During the ceremony, Oshie will receive a special gift from the organization, the National Hockey League and his teammates.
Oshie will be the 12th player to reach the 1,000-game mark in a Capitals sweater and the first since Nicklas Backstrom on April 15, 2021. Since joining the Capitals ahead of the 2015-16 season, Oshie (191g) ranks second on Washington in goals, trailing only Alex Ovechkin (365g). Oshie, a six-time 20-goal scorer, ranks ninth in Capitals franchise history in goals and fifth in power-play goals (76). The Capitals have a record of 330-166-60 (.647 point percentage) with Oshie in the lineup and a 65-46-15 record (.575 point percentage) in games without Oshie.
Oshie, who was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the first round (24th overall) of the 2005 NHL Draft, will become the 10th player from his draft class to play 1,000 games. In addition, the 6’0”, 200-pound forward ranks third among the 2005 draft class in goals (301), sixth in assists (388) and fifth in points (689). Oshie recorded310 points (110g, 200a) in 443 games with St. Louis and has 379 points (191g, 188a) in 556 games with Washington. In 2020, Oshie was selected to represent the Capitals at the NHL All-Star Game in St. Louis.
Oshie won the Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018, registering 21 points (8g, 13a) in 24 playoff games, including six points (1g, 5a) in five Stanley Cup Final games. Oshie ranks tied for third in franchise history in playoff game-winning goals (6), tied for fourth in playoff goals (29) and seventh in playoff points (59). In 102 career playoff games with St. Louis and Washington, Oshie has recorded 68 points (34g, 34a). Oshie will become the 233rd player in NHL history to play 1,000 regular-season games and 100 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
The Everett, Washington native has represented the United States at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, three World Championships (2009, 2010, 2013) and the 2006 World Junior Championship. In a preliminary round game at the 2014 Winter Olympics against Russia, Oshie scored four goals on six shootout attempts, including the game-winner, to lead Team USA to a 3-2 victory over the host nation. Oshie’s career 47.6 shootout shooting percentage is the highest in NHL history among players with at least 60 shootout attempts, while his 49 career shootout goals are tied for the third most all-time. In addition, Oshie’s 301 career goals are the 15th-most by a U.S.-born player at the time of their 1,000th NHL game.
This season, Oshie has recorded 19 points (11g, 8a) in 41 games. Oshie, who ranks second on Washington in power-play goals (7) and tied for second in game-winning goals (3), has registered 17 points (10g, 7a) in his last 22 games dating back to Dec. 14.
