Alex Ovechkin has run into some minor offseason injury trouble.
According to a report from Match TV, Ovechkin is currently dealing with a knee problem that kept him off the ice on Saturday. The Washington Capitals captain was scheduled to attend and play in a farewell game for KHL legend Sergei Mozyakin in Magnitogorsk but held himself out.
“This injury is not too serious and did not prevent Ovechkin from playing in the ‘Match of the Year’ a week ago,” a source told Match TV as translated via Google Translate. “But now Alexander has decided to take care of himself so that he can start full training in 10 days.”
The 38-year-old Ovechkin missed just three NHL games last season. He has missed only 59 games in his entire career, 35 due to injuries.
Ovechkin scored in the “Match of the Year” just over a week ago which pitted some of Russia’s top NHL stars against stars from the KHL. The Great Eight was also named the game’s best player.
Mozyakin’s farewell game went on without Ovechkin and featured other NHL talents like Evgeni Malkin, Evgenii Dadonov, Viktor Kozlov, and Alexei Morozov.
Mozyakin last played in the KHL during the 2020-21 campaign with Metallurg Magnitogorsk and finished his career as the league’s all-time leading scorer with 756 points (351g, 405a) in 685 games.
Ovechkin is scheduled for another friendly in Russia this summer at the “Ovi Cup” in Moscow on August 10. He is set to captain his side against a team led by Vyacheslav Fetisov.
