Alex Ovechkin has a broken left fibula and is expected to be out four to six weeks, an injury that pauses the Washington Capitals superstar captain's pursuit of Wayne Gretzky's NHL career goals record.
The Capitals updated Ovechkin's 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 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 in his first 19 seasons missed 59 games - 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'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."
