T.J. Oshie returned to the Washington Capitals‘ lineup Sunday, getting back just in time for the ceremony honoring his milestone of playing in 1,000 NHL games.
And more importantly, at a crucial juncture of the season, with his team trying desperately to make the playoffs.
Oshie was back against the Winnipeg Jets for Game No. 70 of 82 after missing the past two because of injury. The 37-year-old winger has been out off and on in recent months dealing with nagging back problems that have threatened to derail his career. He reached his 1,000th regular-season game March 16 at Vancouver.
On Sunday, Capitals players wore No. 77 jerseys during pregame warmups that will be autographed and auctioned, with proceeds going to the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation. Oshie’s dad, Tim, died of the disease, which he was living with when father and son shared an emotional moment on the ice in Las Vegas when Washington won the Stanley Cup in 2018.
Master of ceremonies Joe Beninati called Oshie “the heart of the Capitals” as he and his teammates, including sidelined center Nicklas Backstrom, gathered for a photo. Oshie’s goal song, John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” played over the arena speakers.
A grand ceremony fit for one #OshBabe#TJ1K pic.twitter.com/jtyjaYGRv4
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 24, 2024
Oshie had told ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski this past week that the 1,000-game plateau was his career measuring stick.
“There’s no other milestones that I really set for myself in my career,” Oshie said. “I looked up to the guys that came before me that reached the thousand-game mark, seeing the ceremonies and the silver sticks they’d receive. It’s a pretty cool thing, and it’s tough to do.”
The ceremony came just over 10 years after Oshie gained fame for his shootout performance at the Sochi Olympics, when he made 4 of 6 attempts in a U.S. victory over host Russia.
The Capitals could use a healthy Oshie down the stretch, especially with Tom Wilson serving a six-game suspension. Their next game, Tuesday at home against Detroit, is pivotal in the Eastern Conference playoff race as the Capitals chase the Red Wings for a wild-card spot.
“I find even of late, we’re missing a little bit of his poise with the puck, his veteran presence on the ice when things get a little bit scrambly,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. “He can calm things down because he can find a way out of a situation with a lot of poise and calmness. … He handles those situations as good as anybody I’ve been around with his poise.”
Oshie is in his ninth season with the Capitals after playing his first seven with the St. Louis Blues.
“He’s one of the elite players in the league,” said Jets assistant Scott Arniel, who was on staff with Washington for four seasons coaching Oshie. “A lot of people [know about him], not only his NHL career but what he did at the Olympics, the shootout stuff that happened, him scoring all those goals in all the different ways.
“He’s got some unbelievable hands — some of the best I’ve seen in some of the guys I’ve coached. His ability to do things with that stick is amazing, not only just the shootouts but tipping pucks. You watch him in practice tip pucks with the blade of his stick and the knob of his stick, and you get about 10 for 10. He has an elite set of hands, and he has a great personality too.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
