Alex Ovechkin has a broken left fibula and is expected to be out four to six weeks, an injury that pauses the Washington Capitals captain’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record.
The Capitals updated Ovechkin’s status Thursday after team doctors evaluated him upon the return from a three-game trip. The 39-year-old broke the leg in a shin-on-shin collision Monday night with Utah’s Jack McBain, and some of his teammates knew it wasn’t good news even before Ovechkin was listed as week to week and placed on injured reserve.
“Everyone’s bummed out,” said winger Tom Wilson, who has played with Ovechkin since 2013. “We were sitting there saying: ‘This is weird. Like, it’s unbelievable that he’s actually hurt.’ It’s one of those things where, like, he’s going to miss games? I’ve been around a long time, and it’s new to me.”
Ovechkin missed a total of 59 games in his first 19 seasons — and only 35 because of injury. Durability even while throwing his body around with his physical style is a big reason he is on track to pass Gretzky’s mark of 894 goals that once looked unapproachable.
“He doesn’t go out there and just coast around,” Wilson said. “He’s played 20 years every shift running over guys and skating. He’s a power forward, the best goal scorer ever maybe, and he’s a power forward that plays the game really hard.”
Ovechkin surged to the league lead with 15 goals in his first 18 games this season. He was on pace to break the record and score No. 895 sometime in February.
“You know when goal scorers start scoring, it’s dangerous,” said defenseman John Carlson, who has been teammates with Ovechkin since 2009-10. “There was a bit of that in the downs that everyone was feeling about it, too, of course.
“We see him coming to the rink every day, we know what’s at stake. You never want anyone to get injured, but there’s a lot to it and certainly he was playing his best hockey in years.”
