Alex Ovechkin to return Thursday for Washington Capitals after four-game absence

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin will be back in the lineup against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday after missing his team’s previous four games while grieving the death of his father.

Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette officially announced Ovechkin’s return after the team’s pre-game skate on Thursday morning. Ovechkin last played on Feb. 12 against the San Jose Sharks.

The Capitals and Ducks will take to the ice at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC at 7:00 p.m. ET on Thursday.

Head coach Peter Laviolette confirms Alex Ovechkin will be in the lineup against Anaheim during morning skate media availability. #CapsDucks | @SociosUSA pic.twitter.com/vVX3OGGhHk

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 23, 2023

Mikhail Ovechkin passed away on Feb. 15 at age 71. Alex flew home to Moscow the previous day to see his father and be with his family.

“Today I lost my father,” Ovechkin said in an Instagram post last week. “I thank everyone for the support, but please be understanding and do not disturb my family in this difficult time for us. Thank you.”

Ovechkin, 37, is one of three players in history to score more than 800 goals in the National Hockey League. The 6’3″, 238-pound winger has 32 goals and 54 points in 54 games with the Capitals this season, although he hasn’t recorded a point in his last four contests.

The Capitals originally selected Ovechkin in the first round (No. 1 overall) of the 2004 NHL Draft. The Moscow product made his NHL debut with the Capitals in 2005–06 and hasn’t slowed down since, winning the Stanley Cup in 2018 and collecting 812 goals and 1,464 points in 1,328 career games.

Ovechkin, who has served as the Capitals’ captain since 2010, is under contract through the end of the 2025–26 season at a $9.5 million annual cap hit. His contract carries full no-movement and modified no-trade clauses, although it’s difficult to fathom why the Capitals would ever endeavor to send him away.

The Capitals are in the midst of a trying season and appear to be in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Through 59 games in 2022–23, the Capitals rank sixth in the Metropolitan Division (and two points outside a wild card spot) with a 28–25–6 record and 62 points.