Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin to miss 4-6 weeks with fibula fracture

The Washington Capitals announced Thursday that superstar forward Alex Ovechkin will be out of the lineup for the next four-to-six weeks with a fractured fibula.

Ovechkin sustained the injury midway through the third period of Monday’s contest versus the Utah Hockey Club following a collision with opposing forward Jack McBain. Ovechkin did not return to the ice, and the Capitals went on to a 6-2 road victory.

It has been a standout season for Ovechkin who at 39 years old leads the league with 15 goals in 18 games. In all, that gives Ovechkin 868 career tallies, now just 26 goals back of the legendary Wayne Gretzky for the NHL’s all-time goals mark.

The 2024-25 season has been a bounce-back campaign for Ovechkin, who despite finishing with 31 goals a year ago had a slow start to the campaign as he had just seven goals in 34 games before the calendar turned to 2024.

Having reached the 50-goal plateau on nine occasions, should Ovechkin reach that mark in the 2024-25 campaign, he will become the first player in NHL history to have 10 seasons with 50 or more goals. In addition to Ovechkin, only Gretzky and New York Islanders icon Mike Bossy have scored 50 or more goals nine times.

Prior to his injury, Ovechkin was on pace to score 68 goals in 2024-25. Ovechkin has scored more than 60 goals once previously, when he lit the lamp 65 times during the 2007-08 campaign.

Ovechkin is a nine-time Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy winner, awarded to the NHL’s goal-scoring leader each season, in addition to a three-time recipient of the Hart Memorial Trophy in recognition of the most valuable player during the NHL’s regular season.

Among his other accolades, Ovechkin captained the Capitals to a franchise-first Stanley Cup in 2018. En route to the championship, Ovechkin recorded 27 points counting 15 goals and 12 assists in 24 games and was presented with the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.