The Washington Capitals great start to the NHL season has come across an unexpected bump in the road. The Capitals star Alex Ovechkin suffered a lower-body injury during the team’s matchup with the Utah Hockey Club and has been placed on IR. Tom Wilson sent a powerful message to his longtime teammate as his chase for the NHL goals record is put in halt.
The Capitals legend Aleksandr Ovechkin had been producing at a high level, leading the league in goals with 15 tallies. The 39-year-old defied all odds and turned back the clock, showing no signs of regression as he closed in on Wayne Gretzky’s goals record.
Ovechkin scored a hat-trick on Sunday against Vegas and had netted two more goals against Utah before an unfortunate knee-on-knee collision took him down. Ovi will miss the Capitals’ upcoming three games, at least. His status is week-to-week.
Nearing 40 years old and playing through his 20th NHL season, Ovechkin is still the best player in D.C. and his absence will be severely felt by the Caps. Tom Wilson has played for the Capitals since the 2013-14 season and has grown accustomed to Ovi’s impeccable availability. On that topic, he sent a straightforward message to his star teammate, and the rest of the roster.
Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals warms up prior to their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on March 16, 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
“He’s chasing something bigger than hockey,” Wilson said via NHL.com. “I think everyone in the hockey world just feels that bit of letdown, that emotion that you’re just pulling for him and he’s putting everything he has into it. He feels all that pressure and the whole world of hockey is just rooting him on.”
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NHL News: Wayne Gretzky sends a powerful message about Alex Ovechkin's record chase
Next man up
Though Ovechkin’s absence is a big factor. Not just for the Capitals, but for opposing teams who don’t have to stress about the best pure goalscorer in league’s history. However, it’s hockey. These injuries occur, unfortunately, and teams got to adapt to them. Wilson knows that and made something clear to his team.
“To come in and see that he was hurt, it hurt a little bit as a teammate. But at the end of the day, that’s hockey. It’s part of the gig, stuff happens, and guys bounce back from injuries, and he’s going do the same.”
