Alex Ovechkin and is expected to be out four to six weeks, an injury that pauses the Washington Capitals superstar captain鈥檚 pursuit of Wayne Gretzky鈥檚 NHL career goals record.
The Capitals updated Ovechkin鈥檚 status Thursday after he was evaluated by team doctors upon returning 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 closest teammates knew it was not good news even before and placed on injured reserve.
鈥淓veryone鈥檚 bummed out,鈥� said winger Tom Wilson, who has played with Ovechkin since 2013. 鈥淲e were sitting there saying: 鈥楾his is weird. Like, it鈥檚 unbelievable that he鈥檚 actually hurt.鈥� It鈥檚 one of those things where like, he鈥檚 going to miss games? I鈥檝e been around a long time, and it鈥檚 new to me.鈥�
Ovechkin in his first 19 seasons missed 59 games 鈥� and just 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鈥檚 mark of 894 goals that once looked unapproachable.
鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 go out there and just coast around,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 played 20 years every shift running over guys and skating. He鈥檚 a power forward, the best goal-scorer ever maybe, and he鈥檚 a power forward that plays the game really hard.鈥�
Ovechkin surged to the top of the league 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.
鈥淵ou know when goal-scorers start scoring, it鈥檚 dangerous,鈥� said defenseman John Carlson, who has been teammates with Ovechkin since 2009-10. 鈥淭here 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鈥檚 at stake. You never want anyone to get injured, but there鈥檚 a lot to it and certainly he was playing his best hockey in years.鈥�
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AP NHL:
Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press
