The Washington Capitals have provided an injury update on their captain Alex Ovechkin after he left last night’s game against the Utah Hockey Club, which had the entire hockey world collectively held their breath.
After colliding knee-on-knee with Utah’s Jack McBain midway through the third period, Ovechkin stayed down on the ice in what looked to be tons of pain. He would later leave the game and not return; however, today the Capitals organization has provided an update on their star forward.
Washington has announced that Ovechkin has sustained an injury to his lower leg and will be listed as week-to-week while he awaits further testing with the team’s doctors in DC on Wednesday.
Obviously, not the news any hockey fan wants to hear right now, after a red-hot start has him only 27 goals behind Wayne Gretzky’s record (894) for most goals of all time. However, the further evaluation should show that he may have dodged a massive injury and could return to the ice quickly.
Related: Auston Matthews Receiving Treatment in Germany for Upper-Body Injury
Ovechkin, 39, seemed to be on pace to break Gretzky’s goal record by the 2025 NHL trade deadline. Now, depending on how long he is going to be out of the lineup for, he may still be able to break the goal record—it just may be closer to the end of the season.
So far this season, Ovechkin has 15 goals and 10 assists for 25 points in 18 games. His 15 goals have him in the lead for most goals on the season. He is also the first NHL player to reach 15 goals in a season who is 39 years old or older, according to NHL Stats.
