Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin said he will miss this weekend’s All Star Game because of a nagging lower-body injury.
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Ovechkin, who was voted in as the captain of the Metropolitan Division, is disappointed he won’t be able to suit up Sunday in Nashville, but that couldn’t be a factor in the Capitals’ decision.
His captaincy for the Capitals, however, is his top priority as Washington (35-8-4) head into the All Star break atop the National Hockey League standings. He leads the team in both goals (28 – two behind league leader Patrick Kane) and power-play tallies (11) and is third with 42 points in 46 contests this season.
Additionally, Ovechkin said that his decision to go out and shovel the heavy snow that fell in the D.C. area last week may have contributed to the aggravation of an existing injury. “The snowstorm came and it felt like maybe it’s going to help and it doesn’t”.
The NHL did not immediately announce a replacement for Ovechkin.
Ovechkin has been to the all-star game six times in his career.
The Capitals captain also said he wanted to focus on being ready for the rest of the season. Taking that penalty is something other teams have done in recent years, like the Pittsburgh Penguins with Sidney Crosby a year ago. “Long-term, for us, we have to make a decision for our fans and for our team and for Alex too”.
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It was made in consultation with Ovechkin and the Capitals front office, coaching and athletic training staffs. “We made it. We’ll just deal with it, and hopefully he’s back to 100 percent and playing the way he can”.
