Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is expected to miss a team game as he has to take time off for family reasons.
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General manager Brian MacLellan made the announcement on Tuesday, saying the 37-year-old Russian needed to be with his family to care for a loved one. Head coach Peter Laviolette said in a press briefing that he does not expect to see the left winger again by the end of the week.
“Listen, it’s hard sometimes. Life is hard. When it comes down to your family and your parents, that’s what matters. He will have to go and take care of that for a while and we will support him,” Laviolette said, according to NHL.com.
The Capitals faced the Carolina Hurricanes in Washington in the evening. Ovechkin decided to come see his teammates before he left, and Laviolette wouldn’t tell reporters if he was to fly to Russia.
“He came over and he talked to the guys. It was nice to see him, give him a hug and let him know in person that we are there for him rather than text. We will think of him, we will miss him and we wish him the best,” said forward TJ Oshie.
Decisive matches
The health of loved ones is more important than hockey, but it must be recognized that the absence of Ovechkin comes at a very bad time. The Capitals hold one of the last two playoff tickets in the Eastern Conference.
They will face the Hurricanes twice by the end of the week, in addition to facing the Florida Panthers on Thursday. Ovechkin had only missed one game this season. He scored 54 points in as many games in 2022-23.
“It’s different when you lose a player to injury rather than a family reason, especially for the big guy [Ovechkin], which has brought so much success not just for the organization, but for the individuals in the locker room, and I’m one of them. You play with a bit more intensity in those moments,” Oshie explained.
The American capital team recalled from the Hershey Bears, in the American League, forward Joe Snively. He has one assist in six National Hockey League games this season.