Washington Capitals | Alex Ovechkin’s health will be re-evaluated weekly

Alex Ovechkin’s health will be re-evaluated weekly after he injured his left leg during the Washington Capitals’ last game against the Utah Hockey Club.

The Capitals said Tuesday that Ovechkin will be further evaluated by doctors when they return from their road trip.

The injury caused by a shin-on-shin collision with Jack McBain will significantly slow Ovechkin’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record.

Ovechkin scored twice before leaving the game in Salt Lake City on Monday night, giving him 15 goals in 18 games this season. He is at 868 goals, or 27 goals from overtaking Gretzky.

The Capitals said Tuesday that Ovechkin will undergo a battery of additional tests when the team returns home from its trip.

The injury, which occurred after the Russian’s left leg came into contact with Jack McBain’s, will obviously slow down Ovechkin’s record run.

The latter scored two goals before leaving the game in Salt Lake City on Monday evening, allowing him to occupy the first place of scorers on the Bettman circuit with 15 goals in 18 games this season. He has 868 career goals, just 27 shy of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record.

Before his injury, Ovechkin was maintaining a production rate that would have allowed him to shatter Gretzky’s record sometime in February 2025.