These 3 T.J. Oshie moments will stick with hockey fans forever

One of the NHL's most underrated stars has finally decided to hang up his skates. T.J. Oshie, who played 16 seasons with the St. Louis Blues and Washington Capitals, announced his retirement at a special ceremony in Washington, DC, on Monday.

The 38-year-old winger became an overnight hockey sensation after helping the U.S. conquer Russia at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Shortly after he joined Washington, where most of career highlights, including lifting the Stanley Cup in 2018, occurred.

In 1,010 career games — just the 390th player in NHL history to reach that milestone — he logged 302 goals and 393 assists (695 points). He was an instrumental addition to the Capitals and quickly became a fan favorite.

Chronic back pain hindered his ability to finish his career on the ice, missing all of 2024-25 and parts of the 2023-24 season on long-term injured reserve as a result. His contract with Washington expired after the end of this season.

T.J. Oshie's top 3 highlights every fan should know

Despite losing Oshie to the temptations of retirement, fans can still look back on his career and see why he was one of the most energetic and likable players in the league. Here are his top three highlights that every hockey historian should know.

Scoring four shootout goals to help Team USA defeat Russia at the 2014 Sochi Olympics

Before the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Oshie was not a household name. He soon would be after single-handedly vanquishing the mighty host nation in the round-robin portion of the event.

The Americans and Russians could not determine a winner after remaining tied 2-2 in overtime. Four rounds into the best-of-five shootout, Oshie was deployed to counter the great Pavel Datsyuk's tally moments earlier.

He converted and would be sent back out onto the ice five more times (four straight towards the end of things) and scored four total goals to lead the U.S. to a massive 3-2 victory. That effort earned him the title of "Captain America," a moniker donned by past legends such as Joe Pavelski and Mike Modano.

Here's the full shootout from the moment Oshie touches the ice onward for your enjoyment:

Lifting the Stanley Cup and celebrating in 2018

Four years later, Oshie found himself at the pinnacle of his hockey career after lifting the Stanley Cup in 2018. He was instrumental in Washington's quest to end a 44-year championship drought, notching 21 points in 24 playoff games (8 goals, 13 assists).

Oshie won the hearts of any remaining detractors or indifferent fans when he reflected on winning the Stanley Cup for his father, Tim, who had been battling early-onset Alzheimer's Disease.

“My dad’s here in the crowd,” Oshie told a reporter that night on the ice. “He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and he doesn’t remember a lot of stuff. But … you bet your a-- he’s going to remember this one.”

The team's celebrations moved from Las Vegas, the site of their Game 5 victory over the Golden Knights, back to the nation's capital, but the party was just getting started. Oshie and the gang painted the town red, partying at D.C. landmarks and even taking a dip in a public fountain. It was an iconic moment that has now been immortalized with a commemorative plaque.

Scoring a hat trick in his first game back after his father passed away in 2021

Tim Oshie unfortunately passed away in 2021. Naturally, T.J. missed time during the season to mourn, but upon his return his Capitals teammates rallied around him. That support and motivation manifested in one of the most heart-warming and inspiring performances of his career.

Oshie scored his then-fifth career hat trick in his first game back after his father's passing. The empty-netter sealed not only the massive career highlight but also a 4-2 victory over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

A clearly emotional Oshie was seen shedding tears on the bench after his teammates swarmed him on the ice. If he still had any haters after that point, then there's no hope left for humanity.

Oshie will forever be a beloved member of the Capitals and NHL community. Now begins the wait to see if the organization will lift his No. 77 into the rafters along with captain Alex Ovechkin's No. 8 in the future.