Alex Ovechkin is one of the NHL’s greatest players and a deserving, perennial All-Star. Ovechkin has been voted to the All-Star Game by fans 11 times during his 17-year career, but he’s only played in seven of them.
Ovechkin missed the 2012 game due to a three-game suspension and the 2016 game because of injury. Then he sorta just stopped going. In 2019 and 2020, Ovechkin opted not to play, choosing instead to rest his machine-like frame and be suspended a game by the NHL.
These are the years Ovechkin’s played in the All-Star Game via Hockey Reference.
2007 NHL
2008 NHL
2009 NHL
2011 NHL
2015 NHL
2017 NHL
2018 NHL
“Thanks, first of all, to fans for voting me,” Ovechkin said ahead of the 2020 festivities. “It’s a hard decision. I have to listen to my body. I have to get ready for the second half of the year. I have to be healthy and focus on different things. It’s hard decision obviously being captain in All-Star Game but I have to do what’s best for me and my team.”
While Ovechkin will still obviously get our vote for this year’s game (I mean, c’mon he leads the darn league in points at age 36!), Capitals fans’ enthusiasm to vote him in feels tepid because it’s clear he’s no longer that interested in participating. We don’t want to punish the guy!
Then there’s the fact that the 2022 All-Star Game (if it happens) is directly before the 2022 Winter Olympics (if it happens). Ovechkin’s last huge remaining goal is to win gold internationally just like his mother Tatyana did for the USSR. Would he risk any type of injury or COVID-19 infection just to participate? Seems doubtful!
But, according to the Capitals Twitter (which sometimes posts obscure memes and screams about goals in all caps), Ovechkin “wants to go.”
Another ‘C’ for the #Gr8!
Let’s make the League’s current leader in points #NHLAllStar Metro captain
🤩 https://t.co/QGndnd5iFX pic.twitter.com/wkLVNn5Ut2
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 16, 2021
and yes, for those of you asking, he wants to go
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 16, 2021
Capitals fans were skeptical.
So yall are gonna drop a video of him superimposed on somebody saying this right?
— Andrew Gallant (@AGallanzo) December 16, 2021
Like this if you are under duress
— Christmas Oshie (@tjoshiebestfan) December 17, 2021
Literally us. The Capitals.
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 16, 2021
And, okay, so are we.
— RMNB (@russianmachine) December 16, 2021
This whole social media experience makes me ponder a few things. Does the official Capitals’ Twitter account, which is run by a person or people we have not been introduced to publicly, speak for Ovechkin? Can “wants to go” mean something different than play in the All-Star Game but still be true – like visit Las Vegas again or use the potty? Why are we even talking about an All-Star Game when we’re in a pandemic and the NHL is in a crisis?
I don’t know the answer to these questions, but I guess if there’s one takeaway here, it’s that the Capitals really want you to vote for Ovechkin, so go do it – like right now!
